Difference between revisions of "Atomically precise slide bearing"

Revision as of 13:04, 11 August 2022

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Atomically precise slide bearings are bearings with:

all surfaces being atomically precise and nonreactive (See: nanoscale passivation)
atomic bumpiness tuned for incommensurability – See: superlubricity
dry running – no lubricants – (atoms in lubricants would be like gravel at these scales)
no hollow spaces where dirt could get caught in / operating in a sealed PPV environment

PROs / Advantages:

can be very small and compact
can have extremely low friction for small speeds 1mm/s and below
Note: Choosing slow speeds in productive nanosystems is a viable (and proposed) option due to
the scaling law of higher throughput of smaller machinery.

CONs / Disadvantages:

significant friction for moderate speeds ~1m/s
very high friction for high speeds
Dynamic friction scales quadratically with speed. 10x speed 100x friction.
And vice-versa as the flip side of the coin.

The design principle of Infinitesimal bearings can help for higher speeds
but going for atomically precise roller gearbearings too in the case of larger scale bearings
(assembly level 2 and above in productive nanosystems) may be advisanle.