Asymptotic Methods for a General Finite Width Gas Slider Bearing

The method of matched asymptotic expansions is used to develop an asymptotic expression for the load-carrying capacity of a finite width gas slider bearing for large bearing numbers and for film thicknesses varying both in the sliding and transverse directions. The individual terms in the formula for the load are independent of the bearing number and are related to the interior portion, the side edge boundary layers, and the trailing edge boundary layer of the bearing. Only the terms associated with the side leakage phenomena must be computed numerically. Two special cases are discussed: (i) the film thickness varying only in the sliding direction, and (ii) the film thickness having linear or parabolic variation in the sliding direction and parabolic variation in the transverse direction.