Michell Pad Apparatus
- A bench mounted, self contained apparatus to demonstrate the pressure distribution across the film of oil in a Michell tilting pad slider bearing.
- The bench-mounting unit has an aluminium plate (pad) mounted above a continuous loop flat belt.
- This creates a pressurised film of oil between the pad and the belt.
- A set of thirteen graduated tubes show the oil pressure across and along the film under the pad.
- Micrometers measure the leading and trailing edge positions of the pad.
- Two eccentric shafts hold the pad so students can adjust the angle of tilt of the pad.
- This helps students to find the relationship between pressure distribution and film thickness.
- Included is a variable speed control to control the speed of the motor that turns the belt.
- Included with the apparatus is a container of oil and a viscometer to measure the viscosity of the oil.
- Students vary the belt speed to find the relationship between sliding speed, oil viscosity and pressure distribution.