Bearing Design
Barber-Nichols, Inc. (BNI) has extensive experience with bearing design, fabrication, modification, and application. This experience base is broad, and includes different types of bearings, lubricants, and coolants for many different applications. BNI has experience with high speed ball bearings, hydrodynamic bearings, cryogenic fluid lubricated ball bearings, grease lubricated ball bearings, hydrostatic bearings, and magnetic bearings. Additionally, Barber-Nichols designs and fabricates ceramic hybrid bearings that are lubricated with the following low lubricity process fluids:
- Liquid Oxygen
- Liquid Hydrogen
- Liquid Nitrogen
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Kerosene
- Liquid Helium
- Toluene
- High Temperature Water (150+° C (300+° F))
High Speed Ball Bearings
BNI has designed, specified, and fabricated custom, high speed ball bearings for turbogenerators and turbopumps. Optimal bearing geometry, stresses, life, and stiffness are analyzed with A.B. Jones® high speed bearing software. Lubrication and cooling are critical to proper operation and are carefully addressed in the design phase. For unique applications, Barber-Nichols routinely reengineers commercial precision bearings and utilizes custom fabricated ball separators.
Hydrodynamic Bearings
BNI has experience with the design and development of fluid film bearings operating with conventional lubricants and low viscosity fluids such as water and light hydrocarbons. Proprietary and commercial software such as XlRotor® and ARMD® are used for design and analysis. High speed machinery may require a more complex bearing system such as a floating ring or tilting pad, to prevent half speed bearing whirl. Materials are carefully selected to minimize wear, which may occur during startup and shutdown. Barber-Nichols has development testing experience and the facilities to verify and optimize designs.
Dry, Grease, and Oil Lubricated Ball Bearings
BNI utilizes high-speed grease packed and dry lubricated bearings for use with liquid helium, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Bearing life tests are routinely performed with DN (mm-rpm) values reaching 750,000. Barber-Nichols also conducts ongoing grease life testing to ensure that product performance requirements are achieved. Additionally, oil lubricated bearings have been tested to 1.5 million DN.
Hydrostatic Bearings
BNI designs hydrostatic bearings using a university developed software program and ARMD® software. These bearings provide greater speed capabilities for high performance equipment such as rocket turbopumps.
Magnetic Bearings
When high speed and a long life are required, Barber-Nichols can utilize magnetic bearings. Software and electronics advances are cutting magnetic bearing costs while continually increasing performance. Magnetic bearings are friction free and can therefore operate at speeds reaching 75,000 rpm. Additionally, they require no lubrication, consume small amounts of energy, and are extremely reliable.