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Correlation of base oil viscosity in grease with vibration severity of damaged rolling bearings

Imran Moulaalli Jamadar (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat, India)
Dipakkumar Vakharia (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat, India)

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology

ISSN: 0036-8792

Article publication date: 12 March 2018

199

Abstract

Purpose

The main objective of the paper is to explore the theoretical correlation of base oil viscosity in grease and to study the effect of grease grade on mechanical vibrations associated with the damaged rolling bearings.

Design/methodology/approach

For theoretical purposes, formulation theory of dimensional analysis was implemented. Experiments were then performed on the test bearings lubricated with three different types of greases, namely, SKF LGHP2, SKF LGMT3 and SKF LGWA2.

Findings

The numerical results obtained from the theoretical model along with the results of experiments show that the vibration amplitudes of the defective bearings come down to a lower level when it is lubricated with the grease of a higher base oil viscosity.

Research limitations/implications

The promising results from the theoretical model make it usable for the practical rotating machineries applying a variety of the rolling bearings. Consequently, if the bearing is not severely damaged, its performance can be increased by lubricating it with thicker grease.

Originality/value

Despite many significant contributions in the field to detect the presence of defects, not many studies have been performed that relate the lubrication condition of the rolling bearings with the vibration response, because around 50-75% of the bearing failures are attributed to be lubrication related. Hence, there is need to develop a mathematical model that can correlate the vibration severity of the bearings with viscosity of the lubricant oil in the greases along with other design and operating parameters.

Keywords

Citation

Jamadar, I.M. and Vakharia, D. (2018), "Correlation of base oil viscosity in grease with vibration severity of damaged rolling bearings", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 70 No. 2, pp. 264-272. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILT-04-2016-0078

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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