Compact surface self-compensated hydrostatic bearings

A compact surface linear self-compensated hydrostatic bearing system comprising:

• a rail assembly including a rail top and a rail bottom each having bearing surfaces angled with respect to an axis of rotation of the rotor assembly;
• a carriage bearing assembly including a carriage bearing plate having an upper fluid restricting face and a lower fluid restricting face, a carriage bearing top and a carriage bearing bottom attached to one another and housing at least a portion of the rail assembly therebetween, the carriage bearing top having a bearing surface facing and spaced apart from the rotor top bearing surface forming upper bearing gaps therebetween;
• and the carriage bearing bottom having a bearing surface facing and spaced apart from the rail bottom bearing surface forming lower bearing gaps there between,
• the carriage bearing top further including a lower fluid restricting surface facing and spaced apart from the rail upper fluid restricting face forming upper restricting gaps therebetween, and the carriage bearing bottom further including an upper fluid restricting surface facing and spaced apart from the rail lower fluid restricting face forming lower restricting gaps therebetween;
• and
• a fluid supply system configured to supply pressurized fluid to the bearing gaps and into the upper and lower fluid restricting gaps.

A method for providing compact surface self-compensation in a hydrostatic bearing system comprising the step of:

• introducing a pressurized fluid to flowpaths formed between concentrically mated rotor and stator assemblies;
• wherein said flowpaths include:
• upper and lower bearing gaps formed between rotor top and bottom bearing surfaces which are angled with respect to an axis of rotation of the rotor assembly, and corresponding bearing surfaces of a stator top and a stator bottom of the stator assembly respectively;
• and,
• upper and lower restricting gaps formed between rotor upper and lower fluid restricting surfaces and corresponding stator top and bottom lower and upper restricting surfaces, respectively;
• whereby in response to displacement of the rotor assembly from an original position relative to the stator assembly, the pressurized fluid flowing through the flowpaths imparts pressure feedback to restore the rotor assembly to substantially the original position.