MERCURY RANKINE PROGRAM (SNAP 2) DEVELOPMENT OF LIQUID-MERCURY-LUBRICATED BEARINGS VOLUME IV THREE-SECTOR BEARING EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

摘要

This volume presents the results of part of the activity associated with the development of the hybrid three-sector bearings with and without orifice compensation.nOn the basis of previous development work and the system requirements, the three sector bearing is selected, sized, analyzed, and tested. The initial tests utilize inherent compensation and several supply configurations. Diametral clearance, axial length, and alignment are the principle variables experimentally evaluated. The overall performance characteristics reviewed are satisfactory except for poor stability characteristics. The reduced data is utilized to modify the supply pad configuration and orifice diameter resulting in partial orifice compensation. Improved stability charac teristics are achieved at the expense of load capacity and flow for a given supply pressure. To improve stability performance further, complete orifice compensation is utilized. Combined with a diametral clearance of 0.0015-inch, complete orifice compensation assures freedom from half-frequency whirl over the entire speed and load range.