Advanced Dynamics of Rolling Elements : Springer : 9781461297673 : 1461297672 : 08 Oct 2011 : In any rotating machinery system, the bearing has traditionally been a crit­ ical member of the entire system, since it is the component that permits the relative motion between the stationary and moving parts. Depending on the application, a number of different bearing types have been used, such as oil-lubricated hydrodynamic bearings, gas bearings, magnetic suspensions, rolling element bearings, etc. Hydrodynamic bearings can provide any desired load support, but they are limited in stiffness and the associated power loss may be quite large. Gas bearings are used for high-precision applications where the supported loads are relatively light, bearing power losses are very low, and the rotating speeds generally high. For super­ precision components where no frictional dissipation or bearing power loss can be tolerated, magnetic suspensions are employed; again, the load support requirements are