A Simulated Air Bearing Analysis by Design of Experiments and Its Applications in Optimization

Abstract

This study presents an air-bearing design procedure by using Taguchi's Design of Experiments (TDE) to simulate the analysis of systems without adequate models. Instead of taking data from experiments, the performance of air bearings is obtained by an empirical verified numerical model. This arrangement eliminates the errors inevitably introduced in tests. When comparing with full factorial analysis, the number of tests is significantly reduced by using TDE in the demonstrated study. The optimum set of the variables predicted by TDE is numerically verified in the cases investigated. The analysis of orthogonal arrays consisting of three levels shows better performance prediction than the two levels analysis. The straightforward and easy to use procedure can be applied conjunction with numerical optimization technique to give an excellent start-point to minimize search time in a multi-variable design as illustrated in this report.

Presented as a Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Paper at the STLE/ASME Tribology Conference in San Francisco, CA October 21–24, 2001

KEY WORDS:

• Statistical Analysis
• Optimization
• Air Bearings

Notes

Presented as a Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Paper at the STLE/ASME Tribology Conference in San Francisco, CA October 21–24, 2001