h0: A high axial bearing stiffness, self-aligning capability and the minimal flow is obtained with small film thickness. The minimal value of the film thickness is limited by bearing deflections and flatness of the bearing surface and is usually related to the bearing size.

The volume of the groove must be as small as possible in order to prevent instability. In this calculator a large groove dept is assumed resulting in a smooth pressure distribution. Establishing the groove depth and width to obtain the minimal groove volume requires fem calculation.

The load capacity of the bearing is calculated with equation 12.6 for the outer ring surface and with a homogenous pressure distribution assumed in the virtual pocket, i.e. at the inner surface.