Abstract
The migration and distribution of lubricant oil in a rolling bearing strongly affect the elastohydrodynamic lubrication performance between the balls and rings. However, oil re-lubrication is highly dependent on the bearing design, which is different from the ball-on-disc model. This study directly observed the distribution of the lubricant film in a custom-made model-bearing rig, with an outer ring replaced by a glass ring to allow full optical access. The influence of the cage type and surface properties were presented. The physical origin of the re-lubrication mechanism, including capillary flow and mechanical redistribution, was discussed.
Highlights
Lubricating performance is intrinsically linked to the stable and long-life operation of rolling bearings
All the oil was at the bottom oil supply bath, and no oil was distributed to the other elements or places in the ball bearing
This may be attributed to the insufficient oil supply at the bottom oil bath as oil slowly migrated to other elements in the ball bearing
Summary
Lubricating performance is intrinsically linked to the stable and long-life operation of rolling bearings. Chevalier et al [2] assumed a layer of oil with a specific film thickness in his numerical model to determine the film thickness under starvation conditions, and discussed the influence of different inlet film shapes. Jacod et al [6] found that replenishment mainly occurred near the contact driven by capillary forces. Other factors, such as centrifugal effects [4], angled surface velocities [7], wettability [8], and oil-air lubrication [9], have been discussed to enhance the understanding of oil replenishment. All the above mentioned studies were mainly based on a single ball-on-disc point model
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