A deep understanding of oil behavior inside roller bearings is important for the precise design of bearing configurations and oil systems in aircraft engines. The numerical method is employed to track oil distribution inside cylindrical roller bearings with under-race lubrication along the circumference and radial direction, respectively. The results demonstrate that oil distribution along the circumference is periodic with the number of under-race nozzles, and higher rotating speed and lower flow rate would reduce the fluctuation amplitude. It is difficult for oil to flow through the gap between the cage pocket and rollers, and higher oil viscosity would worsen it further. In some extreme cases, the oil volume fraction near the outer race may be lower than 0.7%, causing the risk of lubricating and cooling failure. Thus, more attention should be paid to the outer race of the roller bearing with under-race lubrication, especially during the starting stage of the engine and in cold weather.
The distribution of oil and gas phases around ball–raceway local regions is an important basis and foundation for determining whether a bearing is sufficiently lubricated. To obtain the oil phase distribution law in the inner raceway–ball contact local region (IBCR) and outer raceway–ball contact local region (OBCR) of the ball bearing with under-race lubrication, the numerical simulation method is used. The effects of bearing rotation speed, oil flow rate, oil viscosity, and oil density on these two regions are studied. The results indicate that the oil phase exhibited significant periodic changes in both time and space. Compared with that in the IBCR, the oil phase distribution in the OBCR is more uniform. Increasing the bearing rotation speed and reducing the oil flow rate made the IBCR and OBCR more uniform. Changing the oil viscosity only alters the distribution pattern of the OBCR. The oil density may not affect the fluid flow state or the oil phase distribution in the bearing.
The distribution of oil and gas phases around ball-raceway local regions is an important basis and foundation for determining whether a bearing is sufficiently lubricated. To obtain the oil phase distribution law in the inner raceway-ball contact local region (IBCR) and outer raceway-ball contact local region (OBCR) of the under-race lubrication ball bearing, the numerical simulation method is used. The effects of bearing rotation speed, oil flow rate, oil viscosity and oil density on these two regions are studied. The results indicate that the oil phase exhibited significant periodic changes in both time and space. Compared with that in the IBCR, the oil phase distribution in the OBCR is more uniform. Increasing the bearing rotation speed and reducing the oil flow rate made the IBCR and OBCR more uniform. Changing the oil viscosity only alters the distribution pattern of the OBCR. The oil density may not affect the fluid flow state or the oil phase distribution in the bearing.