Wear characteristics with mixed lubrication conditions in a full scale journal bearing

• Increased awareness of environmental problems has stressed the importance of switching from traditional lubricants to more environmentally friendly alternatives. Different investigations with standard test methods indicate that such a switch is possible without loss of lubricating power. The question arises if the statement above is true for industrial lubricating conditions, without laboratory cleanliness. This paper presents a study of friction and wear in a two grooved journal bearing at different shaft speeds, oil temperatures and contamination levels. A number of tests have been conducted combined with a theoretical analysis of film thickness and lubricating regime. The aim was to investigate whether an environmentally adapted rape seed-synthetic ester oil could replace a traditional mineral oil in a full scale application. The results show that the rape seed-synthetic ester oil gives significantly lower values of wear regardless of the operating conditions and there is also a tendency of lower values of frictional torque compared with the mineral oil. Mainly operating in the mixed lubrication regime, no signs of impending bearing failure have been registered, even though a large amount of silica particles added to the oil gave higher wear values than with uncontaminated oil.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Tribologi (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Tribology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Machine Elements

Maskinelement

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)