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Flow structure in a flooded ball bearing

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Abstract

The flow structure in the confined space between the outer ring, the cage and the balls of a bearing is investigated using a large scale model allowing to perform visualizations, by tracer and dot-paint techniques, and velocity measurements, by Laser Doppler Velocity (LDV), through the transparent rotating outer ring. The visualization results show, in the region between two consecutive balls, the existence of a reversed flow on the cage surface resulting from the aspiration and blowing effect of the rotation of the balls in their cage housings. Systematic measurements of azimuthal velocities in different cross-sections of the gap confirmed the qualitative visualziation findings in laminar flow. For turbulent flow the results show that the extension of the reversed flow region is reduced and the reversed velocities are proportionally smaller as compared to the laminar case.

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Abbreviations

R :

radial position

R b :

radius of the balls

R c :

radius evaluated at the external surface of the cage

R e :

radius evaluated at the inner wall of the outer cylinder

R i :

radius evaluated at the outer wall of the inner cylinder

R m :

radius of the center of the balls

Re 0 :

Reynolds number in the space between the fixed inner cylinder and the rotating outer cylinder: Re 0 = ωe R e(R e - R i)/v

Re 1 :

Reynolds number in the space between the inner and outer cylinders: Re 1 = 2ωe R e(R e - R i)/v

Re :

Reynolds number in the outer cylinder/cage gap: Re = ωe R e(R e - R c)/v

U :

axial velocity

V :

azimuthal velocity

V e :

azimuthal velocity of the internal wall of the outer cylinder

V i :

azimuthal velocity of the external wall of the inner cylinder

Z :

axial position

θ :

azimuthal position

ν :

kinematic viscosity

ω i :

angular velocity of the inner cylinder

ω e :

angular velocity of the outer cylinder

ω c :

angular velocity of the balls about the axis of the bearing

ω r :

angular velocity of the balls about their center

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Author notes

  1. C. Nouar

    Present address: LEMTA — ENSEM, 2, avenue de la Forêt de Haye, B.P. 160, F-54504, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Groupe Phénomènes d'Interface Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées, F-91120, Palaiseau, France

    C. Nouar, D. H. Fruman & R. Gaudemer

Authors
  1. C. Nouar
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  2. D. H. Fruman
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  3. R. Gaudemer
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Additional information

This work was performed as part of a research effort aimed at investigating the many aspect of ball bearings flooded in cryogenic liquids and supported financially by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) la Société Européenne de Propulsion (SEP) and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). The authors wish to deeply thank the many individuals, and in particular Dr. G. Jeanblanc from CNES and Mrs. Pierre and Moëllo from SEP, for their continuous encouragement.

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Nouar, C., Fruman, D.H. & Gaudemer, R. Flow structure in a flooded ball bearing. Experiments in Fluids 21, 71–79 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00193909

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00193909

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