A FAST NUMERICAL SCHEME FOR PIVOTED GAS BEARING STUDIES

A fast numerical scheme for a class of solid-fluid interaction problems-the pivoted gas bearing design analysis-is proposed. The underlying mathematics rests on the lubrication equation and bearing equilibrium equations. Finite element results obtained from modeling of the 3380-type Winchester sliders in modern computer disk storage are reported. The present scheme not only agrees well with other numerical techniques but also appears very competitive in terms of the computational effort. Factors that make the current scheme successful are outlined. Directions for further reducing the computing effort are briefly discussed.