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A compliant hydrodynamic fluid thrust bearing includes a resilient support system having a two-stage spring arrangement for supporting a flexible bearing sheet. The spring arrangement includes a bundle of nested Belleville springs arranged in parallel and a corrugated spring member arranged in serie

A compliant hydrodynamic fluid thrust bearing includes a resilient support system having a two-stage spring arrangement for supporting a flexible bearing sheet. The spring arrangement includes a bundle of nested Belleville springs arranged in parallel and a corrugated spring member arranged in series with the Belleville spring bundle. This arrangement provides an overall spring characteristic of relatively low stiffness under light load, an increased stiffness under the loads normally encountered during operation of the bearing, and a decreased stiffness under loads in excess of the rated capacity of the bearing. This spring characteristic enables the bearing sheet to deflect early under light hydrodynamic loads to assure the correct filt with respect to the thrust runner to establish supporting fluid films; to support the axial load during normal operating conditions; and to deflect under extreme transient loads to share misalignment or gross vibration loads with adjacent bearing areas.

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A compliant hydrodynamic fluid thrust bearing, comprising: a thrust plate and a relatively rotatable thrust runner having a bearing surface disposed in axially spaced parallel relation to said thrust plate; a flexible bearing sheet having a bearing surface facing said thrust runner bearing surface f

A compliant hydrodynamic fluid thrust bearing, comprising: a thrust plate and a relatively rotatable thrust runner having a bearing surface disposed in axially spaced parallel relation to said thrust plate; a flexible bearing sheet having a bearing surface facing said thrust runner bearing surface for carrying an axial load exerted by said thrust runner; a resilient support means for supporting said bearing sheet, including a plurality of Belleville springs arranged in parallel with respect to said load, said springs being disposed in a nested bundle with one axial end of each spring facing and operatively supporting a portion of the load on said bearing sheet and the other axial end facing said thrust plate and transferring the modified load thereto.