4. Hybrid bearings in laminar flow

A hydrostatic or hybrid bearing is an assembly made up of n identical cells evenly distributed around the periphery of the bearing shell (or sometimes the shaft). Figure 12 shows two bearing configurations in which the cells are separated or not by axial grooves.

Bearings with axial grooves are rarely used, as they are more complex to design and, while the grooves allow the cells to be uncoupled and the bearing to be better irrigated, they also increase the leakage rate and, in the case of high rotational speeds, facilitate the introduction of outside air.

Since the radial clearance C is assumed to be very small compared to the radius R of the shaft or bearing, the latter can be developed and assimilated to a plane.

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