CYLINDRICAL ROLLER BEARING LUBRICATION REGIMES ANALYSIS AT LOW SPEED AND PURE RADIAL LOAD

In this article, we describe a method of the roller bearing lubrication regime prediction. It uses a mathematical model of the bearing based on the standard ISO/TS 16281 to obtain the external load distribution over the rolling elements. We consider the effects of press fit and thermal gradient between bearing rings on the internal clearance. The model is limited to an input of an uni-axial radial load and it neglects the centrifugal forces and gyroscopic moments due to its application for the region of low speeds. The lubrication film thickness is evaluated for the most loaded rolling element by a numerical solution of Reynolds' equation for the line contact. The assessment of the lubrication regime takes into the account the surface roughness by employing the lubrication coefficient as an output parameter. Presented outcomes of the study, based on the measured geometry of the bearing, show the importance of an appropriate lubricant selection for the application.