Multi-pad compliant hydrodynamic journal bearing

A compliant hydrodynamic fluid journal bearing comprising:

• a bearing sleeve having a cylindrical bore therein;
• a rotatable shaft received within said bore and defining a gap between the wall of said bore and the surface of said shaft;
• a plurality of bearing modules received within said gap and circumferentially spaced around said wall of said bearing sleeve, and attached thereto against rotation relative to said bearing sleeve;
• each of said modules including a bearing sheet having a radially inwardly facing bearing surface and a resilient support element having spaced resilient projections for supporting a bearing sheet for resilient deflection under load variations exerted by said shaft;
• said bearing sheet being attached adjacent one end thereof to one end of said resilient support elememt with a spacer element connected to said ends;
• the other end of said bearing sheet having a portion underlying portions of the adjacent module to restrain said bearing sheet other end from lifting radially inward toward said shaft while permitting relative circumferential movement of said bearing sheets and said resilient support elements;
• whereby said bearing includes bearing surface interruptions where said bearing sheet portion underlies said adjacent module portions to interrupt incipient half-speed whirl and said bearing sheet is radially restrained from wrapping around said shaft so that start-up torque for said shaft is held to a low value, and said shaft is free to rotate in either direction with respect to said bearing sheets.