Experimental results on a hydrostatic bearing lubricated with a magnetorheological fluid

Magnetorheological fluids can be used as a smart lubricant as a result of the fact that its properties can be changed with the use of a magnetic field. Local flow resistance and local pressure can be generated by applying a local magnetic field. This work presents a hydrostatic bearing in which the pressure profile of a conventional hydrostatic bearing is recreated with solely the use of a magnetic field and a magnetorheological fluid. The magnetic field is applied only locally at the outer edges of the bearing with the use of an electromagnet. The principle is demonstrated with the use of an experimental setup and a model from literature.