Power Loss Analysis of an Oil-Jet Lubricated Angular Contact Ball Bearing: Theoretical and Experimental Investigations

This study presents a theoretical and experimental analysis to quantify the power losses generated by an oil jet lubricated angular contact ball bearing. The analysis is conducted for a moderate speed range (N∙dm product less than 106) and a limited applied load (<5% of the static capacity). The lubrication regime of each ball is studied through a theoretical model and varies from Iso-Viscous Rigid to Elasto-Hydrodynamic. Therefore, the hydrodynamic effects are considered in the power loss calculation. An experimental campaign is carried out and the influence of several parameters (applied load, oil injection temperature, speed, etc.) is studied. A good agreement is found between the developed model and the measurements. It is shown that the radial applied load has no influence on power losses, unlike speed and axial load. This can be explained by the load distribution and the hydrodynamic rolling contribution on the low loaded balls.