Hydrostatic Asymmetric Journal Gas Bearings for Largely Unbalanced Rotors of Seismic ACROSS Transmitters

Abstract

In currently working seismic ACROSS (Accurately Controlled Routinely Operated Signal System) transmitters, an unbalanced rotor with large eccentric mass, which generates elastic waves, is supported by roller bearings. With such a type of bearings, bearing losses are so large that heat generation and cooling system become serious problems. To solve these problems, a trial test ACROSS transmitter using hydrostatic gas bearings are designed, made and carried out. The test results show that the hydrostatic gas bearings safely support a largely unbalanced rotor with eccentric mass. In this paper, a new type of hydrostatic journal gas bearings with asymmetric bearing area specially proposed for a largely unbalanced rotor are analyzed and tested. It is shown that hydrostatic asymmetric journal gas bearings have large load capacity for a largely unbalanced rotor and low gas flow rate compared to the conventional hydrostatic symmetric journal gas bearings.

Keywords

• hydrostatic gas bearing
• unbalanced rotor
• eccentric mass
• load capacity
• large eccentricity
• frictional loss
• active geophysical monitoring
• seismic source