| A novel compliant air bearing is being developed for materials handling and low speed guided transportation systems. In a typical application the load being transported is carried on a 1 m. square platform; this platform is supported on two compliant elements, or runners, which move along shallow concave guideways, or rails. Air for bearing action is introduced from supply manifolds integrated with the underside of the rail through 0.52 mm diameter nozzles which are spaced at 152 mm intervals along the rail axis. In order to allow the use of simple flow diagnostic techniques, a first investigation of this geometry used scaled up models and incompressible flow. However, under normal operating conditions, the flow is compressible and usually gasdynamically choked so that the present work complements the previous investigation by considering this aspect. The aims are to provide data for input to a mathematical model of the system currently being developed, and to suggest alternative geometries which may be both simpler to manufacture and incur reduced fluid losses. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
