variavel0=<b>Vilmar Arthur Schwarz</b> - jcelio@iem.efei.br Escola Federal de Engenharia de Itajubá
<b>Paulo Fernandes Silva</b> - psilva@iem.efei.br Escola Federal de Engenharia de Itajubá
<b>José Celio Dias Dias</b> - jcelio@iem.efei.br Escola Federal de Engenharia de Itajubá
<b>Waldemir de Jesus Salles</b> - jcelio@iem.efei.br Escola Federal de Engenharia de Itajubá
<b>Joseph Wilkes</b> - mjk@kingsbury.com Kingsbury Inc.
<b>Abstract.</b> This paper presents an experimental research on the operating behavior of sector pads hydrodynamic thrust bearings. The most important operating parameters, such as temperature distribution, friction torque and power losses are obtained for a wide range of speed, applied load, lubrication and cooling conditions. Temperature distributions are obtained not only for the pads, but also for the rotating collar. The thrust bearing test-rig and instrumentation is described. Three types of sector pads are employed: central pivoted pads, pads with pivots at 60% and pads with pivots at 66% of mean circumferential length. The main conclusion is that bearing friction losses and operating temperatures are about 10% to 13% lower for the 60% and 66% pivoted pads, as compared to the standard central pivoted pads.
<b>Keywords.</b> hydrodynamic thrust bearing, pivoted pad, test-rig steady state temperature distributions, friction torque, power loss.