A method and a lubrication system for lubricating a transmission system component. The lubrication system may include a lubrication system reservoir for storing a lubrication liquid; and a distribution system. The distribution system may be configured to refill, with the lubrication liquid, a transmission system reservoir that is configured to lubricate the transmission system component. The refill occurs while the transmission system component and the lubrication system are positioned within a vacuum chamber.

A magnetic fluid seal includes an outer cylinder member with a heat barrier that internally houses a rotating shaft extending from a housing of a fluid machine and includes an attachment portion to be attached to the housing, magnetic pole members that are disposed around the rotating shaft housed in the outer cylinder member and form a magnetic circuit, and sealing films that are magnetically connected to the magnetic circuit, are respectively disposed between the magnetic pole members and the rotating shaft, are made of magnetic fluids, and are formed in an axial direction.

A control apparatus includes a constant storage portion that stores constant values of an electromagnet coil including a resistance value Rm, an inductance Lm, a sampling time Ts, etc. A current storage portion stores previous current command values Ir having been regularly sampled by a microcomputer inside a current control circuit. A low-frequency feedback circuit generates a signal for suppressing an error between DC components and low-frequency components of an input current command value Ir and a detected current value IL and outputs the signal. An output voltage computing circuit calculates, based on the input current command value Ir[n+1], a stored value Ir[n] of the current storage portion, a stored value of a constant storage portion, and the signal of the low-frequency feedback circuit, a voltage for suppling the electromagnet coil with a current in accordance with a command, and outputs the calculated voltage.

A static pressure gas bearing used in a vacuum environment includes a guide shaft and a tubular slider which is movable in an axial direction in a state where the guide shaft is accommodated therein. The slider is configured by fastening a plurality of plate-shaped members. A film formed of a soft material having a smaller elastic modulus than that of each of the plate-shaped members is interposed between joint surfaces of the plate-shaped members.

A testing apparatus includes a chamber, having an interior maintained at a predetermined pressure, a rotor rotatably disposed within the interior of the chamber, and a sensor disposed within the interior of the chamber. When the rotor rotates, the at least one sensor measures a testing characteristic of an object disposed within the interior of the chamber as the object interacts with the rotating rotor. A method includes setting a predetermined pressure of a chamber, rotating a rotor, and maintaining a gap between a surface of an object to be tested and a surface of the rotor by adjusting, with an actuator, the object to be tested or the rotor based upon a change, as measured by a laser, in the dimension of the object to be tested or the rotor.