Single recess spherical hydrostatic bearings

J. P. O'Donoghue* and G. K. L e w i s $

Spherical bearings are useful for applications where

it i s n e c e s s a r y to s u p p o r t a l o a d with v e r y low r e s i s t a n c e to t i l t i n g m o m e n t s ; the m o s t u s e f u l a p p l i c a t i o n b e i n g the p i v o t b e a r i n g . T h e s i m p l e s t a r r a n g e m e n t of t h i s t y p e of b e a r i n g i s t h e s i n g l e r e c e s s p a d
shown in F i g 1. The u s u a l d e s i g n p r o c e d u r e f o r t h i s
a r r a n g e m e n t i s to b a s e t h e l o a d and flow c a l c u l a t i o n s on the c o n c e n t r i c p o s i t i o n , a p r o c e d u r e c o n s i d e r e d to be s a t i s f a c t o r y f o r c o n s t a n t l o a d a p p l i c a t i o n s 1. T h e d i s a d v a n t a g e of t h i s t y p e of p a d is t h a t
t h e p a d c o e f f i c i e n t s v a r y with e c c e n t r i c i t y , and in the
c a s e of the l o a d c o e f f i c i e n t , the v a l u e d e c r e a s e s with
f i l m t h i c k n e s s . We h a v e m a d e a full s u r v e y of c a p i l l a r y c o n t r o l l e d b e a r i n g s f r o m the v i r t u a l l y f l a t p a d
to a h e m i s p h e r i c a l pad. In t h i s p a p e r we d e s c r i b e
how a r e g i o n of n e g a t i v e s t i f f n e s s , which e x i s t s f o r
a l l b e a r i n g s of t h i s type, can e x t e n d to t h e c o n c e n t r i c
p o s i t i o n f o r s m a l l r e c e s s a n g l e s and high d e s i g n
p r e s s u r e r a t i o s . F o r t u n a t e l y the p r e v i o u s l y r e c o m m e n d ed a n g u l a r r a t i o of 0 1/0 2 = 0 . 5 and a d e s i g n p r e s s u r e
r a t i o of fl = 0. 5 g i v e p o s i t i v e s t i f f n e s s v a l u e s a t t h e
concentric position. More detailed design information is given for this case, including the maximum
l o a d c a p a c i t y a t which the b e a r i n g c o l l a p s e s .

THEORY
T h e f i l m t h i c k n e s s in a s p h e r i c a l b e a r i n g i s g i v e n by:
h=c
or

+e. cos0

(1)

h
--=l+.cos0
c

where

(la)

c = radial clearance
e = eccentricity
= eccentricity ratio = e/c

T h e b a s i c flow e q u a t i o n is:
dp _ 677qR
d0
~rrh 3
where

(2a)

y =absolute viscosity
p = pressure
R = ball radius
r = r a d i u s at a n g l e 0 = R. s i n 0
q = flow r a t e

S u b s t i t u t i o n of E q u a t i o n 1 into t h i s g i v e s ,
* P r i n c i p a l L e c t u r e r , D e p a r t m e n t of M e c h a n i c a l E n gineering, Lanchester Polytechnic, Priory Street,
Coventry
t D e p a r t m e n t of M e c h a n i c a l E n g i n e e r i n g , U n i v e r s i t y
of A s t o n in B i r m i n g h a m

d p = 67/q
1
d0
~c 3 s i n O (1 + c o s 0) 3

(2b)

and r e a r r a n g i n g ,
P0 = 6~q j 0
d0
7rc 3 0 2 s i n 0 ( 1 + e c o s 0 ) 3

(2c)

T h i s e x p r e s s i o n m a y be r e a d i l y i n t e g r a t e d , but t h e
s u b s e q u e n t i n t e g r a t i o n of t h e p r e s s u r e to o b t a i n t h e
load becomes complex. We have therefore used
n u m e r i c a l m e t h o d s to s o l v e the following e q u a t i o n s
for the pad coefficients:

Flow coefficient = B = prc3

nq

6 [0 z

d0

(3)

zr J02 s i n 0(1 + E c o s 0) 3
Load coefficient = A =

ll

01 P sin 20 dO
s i n 2 01 + f~
U2 P r
=

Fig 1 Single r e c e s s s p h e r i c a l b e a r i n g
232

TRIBOLOGY N o v e m b e r 1970

W
pr A

s i n 2 02

A = ?TR2 sin 2 0 2

(4)

The recess pressure

r a t i o p i s g i v e n by:

1+ 1--fl

where

B
Bo

= concentric recess pressure

ratio

(5)

B o = c o n c e n t r i c flow f a c t o r

T h e r e s u l t s f o r t h e ' r e c o m m e n d e d ' g e o m e t r y 2 of
01/02 = 0 . 5 a r e shown in F i g s 4 and 5. A s can be

T h e l o a d p a r a m e t e r W i s given by t h e p r o d u c t of
a n d A,

W-

F i g 3, show t h e p r e d o m i n a n t e f f e c t of v a r i a b l e p a d
c o e f f i c i e n t s at high n e g a t i v e s t i f f n e s s e s . T h e p o c k e t
p r e s s u r e c o n t i n u o u s l y i n c r e a s e s with d e c r e a s i n g
f i l m t h i c k n e s s , but t h e d e c r e a s i n g p a d l o a d c o e f f i c i e n t
c a u s e s t h e l o a d to d e c r e a s e g i v i n g a n e g a t i v e s t i f f n e s s . T h e i m p o r t a n t p o i n t in t h i s f i g u r e i s the e x t e n s i o n of t h e n e g a t i v e s t i f f n e s s r e g i m e to t h e c o n centric position for design pressure ratios greater
than 0.63.

0.15

(6)

_ ~X

Ps A
T h e l o a d i s g i v e n by:

:3
u

W = Ps A W

(7)

0.1

T h e s t i f f n e s s w a s d e t e r m i n e d by c a l c u l a t i n g t h e v a l u e
of l o a d p a r a m e t e r a t e a c h e c c e n t r i c i t y v a l u e t o g e t h e r
with t h e v a l u e at an i n c r e m e n t of e c c e n t r i c i t y r a t i o
of 0. 001, s o t h a t the s t i f f n e s s p a r a m e t e r is:
dW
dh -

z., 0.5

06

O-05

p s A dW
c
d~

(8)
dW
- 1000 (W E - w e + o . o o l )
dE

+1

Eccentricity
RESULTS

Fig

T h e r e s u l t s a r e i l l u s t r a t e d in F i g 2-5. F i g 2 s h o w s
t h e l o a d r e s u l t s f o r a h e m i s p h e r i c a l b e a r i n g with a
r e c e s s a n g l e of 9 . At high n e g a t i v e e c c e n t r i c i t i e s
t h e r e s t r i c t i o n of t h e c l e a r a n c e n e a r the e d g e of t h e
p o c k e t c a u s e s the p o c k e t p r e s s u r e to be a l m o s t u n i t y
i r r e s p e c t i v e of t h e d e s i g n p r e s s u r e r a t i o , t h u s the
load is also constant. The stiffness characteristics,

o.s[
't

Stiffness parameter against eccentricity for a

s i n g l e r e c e s s s p h e r i c a l b e a r i n g . 01 = 9 , 02 =
90 and v a r y i n g v a l u e s of d e s i g n e d r e c e s s
p r e s s u r e r a t i o , fl

0-6

0.5

<

0"8

0"/'I

lg.o.3
0.2

0"2

0.1
02

0-1

0
0

-1

0
Eccentricity

+1

F i g 2 L o a d c a p a c i t y of s i n g l e r e c e s s s p h e r i c a l b e a r i n g s 01 = 9 , 02 : 90 , f o r v a r i o u s v a l u e s of d e signed recess pressure ratio,

-1

0
Eccentricity

+1

F i g 4 V a r i a t i o n of l o a d p a r a m e t e r w i t h e c c e n t r i c i t y
f o r a s i n g l e r e c e s s s p h e r i c a l b e a r i n g with an
a n g u l a r r a t i o 0z/02 = 0 . 5 and a d e s i g n e d
r e c e s s p r e s s u r e r a t i o ~ = 0. 5

T R I B O L O G Y N o v e m b e r 1970

233

0"5

02=0"

0.4
60
0.3
,'~rt

0.2

0.1
Fig 7 Annular recess spherical bearing

0
-

+1

Eccentricity
F i g 5 S t i f f n e s s of s i n g l e r e c e s s s p h e r i c a l p a d s with
a n g u l a r r a t i o 01/02 = 0 . 5 and d e s i g n e d p o c k e t
p r e s s u r e r a t i o , fi = 0. 5

um toad j

W h e n e v e r s m a l l r e c e s s a n g l e s a r e u s e d o r high
p r e s s u r e r a t i o s e m p l o y e d t h e r e i s a d a n g e r of b e a r ing c o l l a p s e at t h e c o n c e n t r i c c o n d i t i o n and even f o r
c o n s t a n t l o a d a p p l i c a t i o n s it w i l l not be p o s s i b l e to
use concentric theory for load and leakage calculations.

0-5

T h e u s e of a c e n t r a l a I m u l a r r e c e s s s u c h a s that
shown in F i g 7 r e s u l t s in a s t a b l e s y s t e m a s t h e p a d
l o a d c o e f f i c i e n t t e n d s to i n c r e a s e with d e c r e a s i n g
f i l m t h i c k n e s s g i v i n g a p o s i t i v e s t i f f n e s s up to the
p o i n t of m e t a l to m e t a l c o n t a c t .

0'3

0.2

30

60

90

e2
Fig 6

234

CONCLUSIONS
A l t h o u g h f o r t h e r e c o m m e n d e d v a l u e s of 01/02 = 0.5,
and fl -- 0. 5, t h e r e i s a u s e f u l o p e r a t i n g r a n g e f o r a
s i n g l e r e c e s s b e a r i n g t h e r e i s a v a l u e of n e g a t i v e
e c c e n t r i c i t y a t which t h e s t i f f n e s s b e c o m e s z e r o and
t h e b e a r i n g w i l l c o l l a p s e . T h e v a l u e s of t h i s l o a d
c a n b e c a l c u l a t e d f r o m F i g 6.

0"6

s e e n t h e r e i s a p o s i t i v e s t i f f n e s s f o r a l l v a l u e s of 02
in t h e c o n c e n t r i c p o s i t i o n for a d e s i g n p r e s s u r e
r a t i o of 0. 5, a g a i n a r e c o m m e n d e d v a l u e s u g g e s t e d in
R e f 2.

V a r i a t i o n of c o n c e n t r i c and m a x i m u m l o a d
c a p a c i t i e s of s i n g l e r e c e s s s p h e r i c a l b e a r i n g s
w i t h a d e s i g n e d p r e s s u r e r a t i o / 3 = 0 . 5 , and an
a n g u l a r r a t i o 01/02 = 0. 5

TRIBOLOGY N o v e m b e r 1970

REFERENCES
1

R i p p e l , H. C. ' C o n i c a l and s p h e r i c a l p a d s ' ,

M a c h i n e D e s i g n (Oct 1963) pp 185-191

O'Donoghue, J. P. and Rowe, W. B. ' H y d r o s t a t i c

b e a r i n g d e s i g n ' T r i b o l o g y , Vol 2, No 1 ( F e b 1969)
pp 25-71