In an exemplary embodiment, a sliding member includes sliding faces S configured to slide in relation to one another, at least one sliding face 5 of the sliding faces being provided with a plurality of dimples 11 having multi-sided shapes whose edges are formed without interruption. A pair of the edges A1-B1, A1-C1 of each of the multi-sided dimples 11, extending radially on opposite sides of a radial axis R of the sliding member, are sloped to become farther apart as they extend toward a high-pressure fluid side, and an edge B1-C1, which connects end points B1, C1 on the high-pressure fluid side of the pair of the edges, is formed such that its length is not greater than the lengths of the pair of the edges A1-B1, A1-C1. The sliding member can reduce friction between the sliding faces and improve sealing performance regardless of the direction of rotation.

A flow restrictor is adapted for application in a bearing arrangement between a piston and a cylinder of a gas compressor. The compressor includes a protective block that involves the cylinder externally, and also includes at least one inner cavity, which is fluidly fed by a discharge flow resulting from a compression movement exerted by the piston inside the cylinder. The compressor includes a bearing-arrangement clearance that separates the piston and an inner wall of the cylinder. The compressor includes at least one flow restrictor provided with a housing that associates fluidly the inner cavity to the bearing-arrangement clearance. The flow restrictor is associated to the housing by a process of at least partial plastic deformation inside the housing, the flow restrictor being provided with channels for passage of fluid, the plastic deformation being sized for limiting the gas flow through the inner cavity to the bearing-arrangement clearance.

A pair of sliding components are disposed at a relatively rotating position at the time of running a rotary machine and formed in an annular shape in which a sealed liquid is present on one side of an inner radial side and an outer radial side and a gas is present on the remaining side thereof. A sliding surface of a sliding component is provided with a dynamic pressure generation groove which communicates with the side of a gas in a radial direction and which is configured to generate a dynamic pressure between the sliding surfaces by the gas at the time of running the rotary machine. A sliding surface of a sliding component is provided with a groove which extends in a circumferential direction.

A flow restrictor is adapted for application in a bearing arrangement between a piston and a cylinder of a gas compressor. The compressor includes a protective block that involves the cylinder externally, and also includes at least one inner cavity, which is fluidly fed by a discharge flow resulting from a compression movement exerted by the piston inside the cylinder. The compressor includes a bearing-arrangement clearance that separates the piston and an inner wall of the cylinder. The compressor includes at least one flow restrictor provided with a housing that associates fluidly the inner cavity to the bearing-arrangement clearance. The flow restrictor is associated to the housing by a process of at least partial plastic deformation inside the housing, the flow restrictor being provided with channels for passage of fluid, the plastic deformation being sized for limiting the gas flow through the inner cavity to the bearing-arrangement clearance.

In order to effect a seal a porous material which comprises one side of two opposing surfaces is used to restrict and evenly distribute externally pressurized gas, liquid, steam, etc. between the two surfaces, exerting a force which is opposite the forces from pressure differences or springs trying to close the two faces together and so may create a non-contact seal that is more stable and reliable than hydrodynamic seals currently in use. A non-contact bearing is also disclosed having opposing surfaces with relative motion and one surface issuing higher than ambient pressure through a porous restriction, wherein the porous restriction is part of a monolithic porous body, or a porous layer, attached to lands containing a labyrinth, the porous restriction and lands configured to not distort more than 10% of a gap created from differential pressure between each side of the porous restriction.

A pumping system includes a motor, a shaft driven by the motor, a pump driven by shaft, a thrust bearing housing and a thrust bearing assembly contained within the thrust bearing housing. The thrust bearing assembly includes a rotating component connected to the shaft, a first bearing adjacent to the rotating component and an adjustment mechanism for the adjusting the distance between the rotating component and the first bearing. The adjustment mechanism can be externally manipulated from outside the thrust bearing housing.

An apparatus for a microprocessor computer system and method for configuring the same where said microprocessor computer system comprises a processor core and at least one hardware buffer FIFO with memory-mapped head and tail that handles data movement among the processor cores, networks, raw data input and outputs, and memory. The method for configuring said microprocessor computer system comprises utilizing a FIFO auxiliary processor to process said data traversing said hardware FIFO; utilizing said hardware FIFOs to efficiently pipe data through functional blocks; and utilizing a FIFO controller to perform DMA operations that include non-unit-stride access patterns and transfers among processor cores, networks, raw data input and outputs, memory, and other memory-mapped hardware FIFOs.

In an embodiments, in a sealing face of at least one slide part of a pair of slide parts, a dynamic pressure generation groove 10 is provided so as to be separated not to communicate with a sealed fluid side and a leakage side by land portions on both sealing faces, between an end 10a on the leakage side of the dynamic pressure generation groove 10 and the leakage side, a fluid introduction groove 11 which communicates the dynamic pressure generation groove 10 and the leakage side is provided, and the cross-sectional area of the fluid introduction groove 11 is set smaller than the cross-sectional area of the dynamic pressure generation groove 10. The sealing faces are subjected to fluid lubrication and low friction in a steady operation, and leakage of the sealed fluid and entrance of dust into the sealing faces are suppressed.

In an annular sliding component disposed at a relatively rotating position of a rotating machine and sliding relative to an opposed sliding component, a sliding surface is provided with a plurality of first dynamic pressure generation grooves disposed on a leakage side, having terminating ends, and generating a positive pressure and a plurality of second dynamic pressure generation grooves disposed on a sealing target fluid side, having terminating ends, and generating a positive pressure and a depth of the second dynamic pressure generation groove is shallower than a depth of the first dynamic pressure generation groove.

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a system associated with an engine of an aircraft, the system comprising: a fluid source that is configured to provide a fluid at a first pressure value, a carbon seal, a seal plate that includes at least one lift-off feature that interfaces to the carbon seal, and a pressure boosting mechanism configured to obtain the fluid from the fluid source, increase the pressure of the fluid to a second pressure value, and provide the fluid at the second pressure value to the at least one lift-off feature.