Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is widely used in tribological applications. However, it faces challenges due to its high wear rate. Reinforcement of additives in PTFE reduces its wear rate by up to 10,000 times in dry conditions. Infusing metallic filler materials like Al, Cu, and Pb improves PTFE wear performance but increases the coefficient of friction (COF). However, it may not be suitable for corrosive environments due to potential metal reactivity. Reinforcing PTFE composites with carbon‐based materials reduces weight, improves wear properties, and lowers COF. Pre‐treated materials enhance bonding for improved anti‐friction and anti‐wear properties. PTFE and its composites are widely used in journal bearings, bearing pads, and ball bearings due to their excellent low‐speed, low‐load lubrication properties. They outperform Babbitt alloy in bearing pads, except in heat conductivity. PTFE can also be used as a solid lubricant and can be combined with additives for improved performance. Apart from it, achieving an optimal combination of properties for all forms of reinforcement can be challenging due to the difficulty in determining exact values for multiple properties with specific types of reinforcement. This article provides a comprehensive review that delves into the significant findings pertaining to reinforcement and its application in bearing technology. Highlights: Metals and carbon‐based fillers improve tribo‐properties. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) provides lubrication and thermal stability to the polymeric materials. Estimation of tribo‐thermal properties in combination is a challenge. Testing conditions greatly impact PTFE composites performance. PTFE as a solid lubricant suitable for low‐speed/load applications.

Magnetic bearings are being researched for high-speed applications, such as flywheel energy storage devices, to eliminate friction losses. As per Earnshaw's theorem, stable levitation cannot be achieved for a static passive magnetic bearing system. Fully passive stable levitation can be achieved with the help of superconducting magnetic bearings (SMB). This article provides an in-depth review of the modeling, analysis, and development of SMB. The different SMB configurations are highlighted, together with essential methodologies for estimating and improving their performance. The advancements in mathematical models used and the optimization of bearing characteristics are thoroughly discussed. Further, key developments in the application of SMB in flywheel energy storage systems are also reviewed.

The use of permanent magnets as bearings has gained attention of researchers nowadays. The characteristics of forces and moments have to be analysed thoroughly for the proper design of permanent magnet bearings. This paper presents a mathematical model of an axially magnetized permanent magnet bearing (ring magnets) using Coulombian model and a vector approach to estimate the force, moment and stiffness. A MATLAB code is developed for evaluating the parameters. Furthermore, it is extended to analyse stacked ring magnets with alternate axial polarization. The proposed model is validated with the available literature. Comparison of force and stiffness results of the present model with the results of three dimensional (3D) finite element analysis using ANSYS shows good agreement. Finally, the cross coupled stiffness values in addition to the principal stiffness values are presented for elementary structures and also for stacked structures with three ring permanent magnet

This work deals with generalized three-dimensional (3D) mathematical model to estimate the force and stiffness in axially, radially, and perpendicularly polarized passive magnetic bearings with “n” number of permanent magnet (PM) ring pairs. Coulombian model and vector approach are used to derive generalized equations for force and stiffness. Bearing characteristics (in three possible standard configurations) of permanent magnet bearings (PMBs) are evaluated using matlab codes. Further, results of the model are validated with finite element analysis (FEA) results for five ring pairs. Developed matlab codes are further utilized to determine only the axial force and axial stiffness in three stacked PMB configurations by varying the number of rings. Finally, the correlation between the bearing characteristics (PMB with only one and multiple ring pairs) is proposed and discussed in detail. The proposed mathematical model might be useful for the selection of suitable configuration of PMB as well as its optimization for geometrical parameters for high-speed applications.

This paper presents the design and development of a hybrid bearing set for complete passive levitation of a typical rotor. A hybrid bearing set consists of permanent magnet thrust bearing and radial discrete bump foil bearings. The permanent magnet thrust bearing is made up of three pairs of ring magnets arranged in rotation magnetized direction. The mathematical model to determine the force and stiffness in rotation magnetized direction configuration is presented using Coulombian model and vector approach. Bump foil bearings are designed and developed for rotor weight to provide the radial support to the rotor system. The proposed bearing set with rotor is analysed using finite element analysis for rotor dynamic characteristics. The experiments are conducted on the fabricated rotor-bearing configuration by rotating the rotor up to the speeds of 40,000 r/min. The system response is acquired using advanced rotor-dynamic data acquisition system. The experimental results show that the rotor is completely airborne and stable at the desired speed.