A linear electromagnetic machine includes a stator, a translator, and a bearing system. The bearing system maintains alignment against lateral displacement of the translator relative to the stator, as the translator reciprocates axially. More particularly, the bearing system maintains a motor air gap between the stator and a magnetic section of the translator. The stator includes a plurality of stator teeth and windings, which form a plurality of phases. The stator teeth and windings are arranged using a hoop stack with spines to form a stator bore and define the motor air gap. The bearing system can include bearing housings that are configured to form a bearing interface with a surface of the translator. The bearing interface can include a contact bearing or a non-contact bearing, such as a gas bearing. Current is controlled in the phases to convert between electrical energy and kinetic energy of the translator.

Provided is a linear compressor including a linear motor having a mover reciprocating with respect to a stator; a piston coupled to the mover to reciprocate; a cylinder into which the piston is slidingly inserted, the cylinder having an inner circumferential surface forming a bearing surface together with an external circumferential surface of the piston, the cylinder forming a compression space together with the piston, and the cylinder having at least one first hole formed through the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder and an outer circumferential surface of the cylinder to guide refrigerant discharged from the compression space to the bearing surface; and a porous member inserted into the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder and configured to cover the first hole, the porous member having multiple micropores smaller than the first hole.

A method for increasing load capacity on a porous aerostatic bearing through use of a two-phase fluid that is less viscous than lubrication oils and the bearing gap is of the size of air bearings. The porous material throttles vapor and liquid. As liquid goes through the porous media, the pressure drop from the porous media resistance causes it to vaporize. The increased volume flow in the bearing gap reduces the vapor flow rate through porous media, resulting in higher pressure in gap. As the vapor-liquid mixture escapes from bearing gap, another vaporization occurs at the end of bearings which retards escaping, and further increases pressure in the gap. The liquid portion of the two-phase fluid in the bearing gap increases the load capacity and stiffness, similar to hydrostatic bearings fed with liquid. The vaporization absorbs heat generated by bearing friction to allow higher relative speed between bearing surfaces.

An aerostatic bearing includes a base having a foundation layer and a plurality of ventilation bodies protruding from the foundation layer, the ventilation bodies being made of a porous material; and a sealing layer covering the base and revealing at least one of the ventilation bodies.

A table device including: a first base including a first reference surface; a second base including a second reference surface, and movable on the first reference surface in a direction parallel to a first axis; a first bearing member provided to the second base, and forming a gas bearing between the first bearing member and the first reference surface; a second bearing member provided to the second base, apart from the first bearing member relative to a direction parallel to a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and forming a gas bearing between the second bearing member and the first reference surface; and a table movable on the second reference surface. A distance between the first bearing member and the second bearing member is longer than a dimension of a moving range of the table relative to the direction parallel to the second axis.

An apparatus, system and method for providing a floating end effector for grasping small precision parts. The end effector includes at least one end effector module having at least: tooling for grasping a part for pickup and placement; a module shaft connected on a first end to the tooling, and having a second end opposite the tooling; and at least two air bearing associated with the second end, wherein the at least two air bearings in combination impart degrees of freedom to the tooling in at least x and y axes and in theta.

An externally pressurized porous gas bearing for operating within a refrigerant environment is disclosed. The gas bearing utilizes shear heating from rotation of a rotor, thereby increasing the pressure and load capacity of the externally pressurized porous gas bearing. The gas bearing is capable of operating when the refrigerant is in a liquid phase and when the refrigerant is in a gaseous phase.

Provided is a linear compressor including a linear motor having a mover reciprocating with respect to a stator; a piston coupled to the mover to reciprocate; a cylinder into which the piston is slidingly inserted, the cylinder having an inner circumferential surface forming a bearing surface together with an external circumferential surface of the piston, the cylinder forming a compression space together with the piston, and the cylinder having at least one first hole formed through the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder and an outer circumferential surface of the cylinder to guide refrigerant discharged from the compression space to the bearing surface; and a porous member inserted into the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder and configured to cover the first hole, the porous member having multiple micropores smaller than the first hole.

An externally pressurized porous gas bearing for operating within a refrigerant environment is disclosed. The gas bearing utilizes shear heating from rotation of a rotor, thereby increasing the pressure and load capacity of the externally pressurized porous gas bearing. The gas bearing is capable of operating when the refrigerant is in a liquid phase and when the refrigerant is in a gaseous phase.

A bearing and/or seal assembly where pressurized gas (e.g., air) may be arranged to produce a contact-free bearing and/or seal is provided. The assembly includes a permeable body (12) including structural features (13) selectively engineered to convey a pressurized gas (Ps) from an inlet side (20) side of the permeable body to an outlet side (22) of the permeable body to form an annular film of the pressurized gas relative to the rotatable shaft. Disclosed embodiments may be produced by way of three-dimensional (3D) Printing/Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies with practically no manufacturing variability; and may also cost-effectively and reliably benefit from the relatively complex geometries and the features and/or conduits that may be involved to, for example, form the desired distribution pattern or impart a desired directionality to the pressurized gas conveyed through the permeable body of the bearing and/or seal assembly.