Fluid bearings are bearings in which the load is supported by a thin layer of rapidly moving pressurized liquid or gas between the bearing surfaces. Since there is no contact between the moving parts, there is no sliding friction, allowing fluid bearings to have lower friction, wear and vibration than many other types of bearings. Thus, it is possible for some fluid bearings to have near-zero wear if operated correctly.
Lubrication is the process or technique of using a lubricant to reduce friction and wear and tear in a contact between two surfaces. The study of lubrication is a discipline in the field of tribology.
Osborne Reynolds was an Irish-born innovator in the understanding of fluid dynamics. Separately, his studies of heat transfer between solids and fluids brought improvements in boiler and condenser design. He spent his entire career at what is now the University of Manchester.
A foil bearing, also known as a foil-air bearing, is a type of air bearing. A shaft is supported by a compliant, spring-loaded foil journal lining. Once the shaft is spinning fast enough, the working fluid pushes the foil away from the shaft so that no contact occurs. The shaft and foil are separated by the air's high pressure, which is generated by the rotation that pulls gas into the bearing via viscosity effects. The high speed of the shaft with respect to the foil is required to initiate the air gap, and once this has been achieved, no wear occurs. Unlike aerostatic or hydrostatic bearings, foil bearings require no external pressurisation system for the working fluid, so the hydrodynamic bearing is self-starting.
John Henry Michell, FRS was an Australian mathematician and Professor of Mathematics at the University of Melbourne.
Robert Henry Thurston was an American engineer, and the first Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology.
An axial engine is a type of reciprocating engine with pistons arranged around an output shaft with their axes parallel to the shaft. Barrel refers to the cylindrical shape of the cylinder group whilst the Z-crank alludes to the shape of the crankshaft.
Gustave-Adolphe Hirn was a French physicist, astronomer, mathematician, and engineer who made important measurements of the mechanical equivalent of heat and contributions to the early development of thermodynamics. He further applied his science in the practical development of steam engines.
A swashplate, also known as slant disk, is a mechanical engineering device used to translate the motion of a rotating shaft into reciprocating motion, or vice versa. The working principle is similar to crankshaft, Scotch yoke, or wobble/nutator/Z-crank drives, in engine designs. It was originally invented to replace a crankshaft, and is one of the most popular concepts used in crankless engines. It was invented by Anthony Michell in 1917.
Beauchamp Tower was an English inventor and railway engineer who is chiefly known for his discovery of full-film or hydrodynamic lubrication.
A thrust block, also known as a thrust box, is a specialised form of thrust bearing used in ships, to resist the thrust of the propeller shaft and transmit it to the hull.
Philip Edward Irving MBE, CEng., FIMechE., MSAE. (1903–1992) was an Australian engineer and author, most famous for the Repco-Brabham Formula One and Vincent motorcycle engines. He also worked at Velocette motorcycles, twice, and drew the engine of the 1960 EMC 125cc racer.
Albert Kingsbury was an American engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. He was responsible for over fifty patents obtained between the years 1902 to 1930. Kingsbury is most famous for his hydrodynamic thrust bearing which uses a thin film of oil to support weights of up to 220 tons. This bearing extended the service life of many types of machinery during the early 20th century. It was primarily outfitted on Navy ships during World War I and World War II.
Frank Philip Bowden CBE FRS was an Australian physicist.
Arthur Jules Morin was a French physicist. He conducted experiments in mechanics and invented the Morin dynamometer. He introduced the term coefficient of friction and demonstrated its utility.
Duncan Dowson was a British engineer who was Professor of Engineering Fluid Mechanics and Tribology at the University of Leeds.
Richard Stribeck was a German engineer, after whom the Stribeck Curve is named.
(Hans) Peter Israel Jost, CBE was a British mechanical engineer. He was the founder of the discipline of tribology, the science and engineering of interacting surfaces in relative motion. In 1966, Jost published a report which highlighted the cost of friction, wear and corrosion to the United Kingdom economy. It was in this eponymous report that he coined the term tribology, which has now been widely adopted.
Mayo Dyer Hersey was an American engineer, physicist at the National Bureau of Standards and other government agencies, and Professor of Engineering at Brown University. He received the 1957 ASME Medal, and the first Mayo D. Hersey award in 1965.
Nikolai Pavlovich Petrov was a Russian army professor of mechanics and engineering who is considered one of the founders of tribology or the study of friction and lubrication. He is best known for what is known as Petrov's Law of friction.
