Patent ID: 7758246

Claim:
A system comprising: a limiter adjacent to a limiter facing surface defining an axial limiter gap therebetween, the limiter adjoining one of a rotatable component and a stationary component, and the limiter facing surface adjoining the other of one of the rotatable component and the at least one stationary component; a channel defined between the rotatable component and the stationary component and extending from hydrodynamic bearing to the axial limiter gap and continuing to a region beyond the axial limiter gap, wherein at least a portion of the channel diverges as the channel extends from the hydrodynamic bearing toward the region that is beyond the axial limiter gap; and at least one slot at the axial limiter gap, defined by at least one of the limiter and the limiter facing surface, wherein the at least one slot has a diverging depth as the channel extends toward the region beyond the axial limiter gap.