Design of Irregular Slider Surface for Satisfying Specified Load Demands

This study is to design the surfaces of sliders to meet the pressure distribution specified by the designers. The slider surfaces, in general, characterize an irregular profile. A direct problem solver, which is able to provide solutions for pressure distribution in the air film between the slider and the moving surface for various geometric conditions, is incorporated with an inverse method for determination of slider surface shape. In this report, a point-by-point design method is developed to improve the polynomial-function approach proposed in an earlier study (Cheng and Chang, 2004, J. of Tribology 126, pp. 519-526.) An exact solution for the two-dimensional design problems has also been developed to partly confirm the present approach. Results obtained from the present approaches are demonstrated by a comparison with the data from the existing method and the exact solutions to display the relative performance of the present method. The desired slider-shape design is a function of the bearing numbers. The slider shapes associated with different combinations of bearing numbers are investigated.