Influence of the cage on the migration and distribution of lubricating oil inside a ball bearing

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.

Review of Wind Power Bearing Wear Analysis and Intelligent Lubrication Method Research

“…This study provides a new method for fluid flow in bearings and proposes new research ideas for optimizing wind-power rolling bearings. Liang et al [201] designed a ball-bearing rig, and to make it easier to observe, they utilized optical research methods by adding fluorescent dyes to the lubricating oil. Under the condition that centrifugal force is not considered, it is learned through the study of bearing cage on lubricant distribution and flow characteristics that the cage surface and shape design have significant lubrication influence on the outer ring of the bearing, and the cylindrical cage-coated with an oleophobic coating can significantly increase the amount of lubricant supply.…”

Increase Service Life for Rail Wheel Bearings—A Review of Grease Lubrication for This Application

“…One of the possibilities to improve these processes for better grease replenishment into the contact is to use suitable bearing cages [42], see Figure 5. It is interesting to note that the presence of a bearing cage leads to worse lubrication for bearings that were lubricated only by the base oil, the exact opposite behavior was found for grease-lubricated bearings [33].…”

Tribofilm Formation of Zinc Dialkyldithiophosphate as Oil Additives Impregnated in Porous Polyimide under Different Contacts

“…Polyimide (PI), a highly stable heat-resistant polymer material with good toughness, oxidation resistance, corrosion resistance, and radiation resistance, has attracted much attention in tribology. − In addition, PI can be prepared into porous materials with interconnected pore structures using cold-pressing and hot-sintering methods. , Porous polyimide (PPI) has a superior self-lubricating performance and is applied in many friction components, such as bearing retainers. − …”