Experimental study on frictional loss of high-speed bearings based on free-deceleration and energy-balance methods

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate accurate and effective experimental methods for measuring the frictional loss of bearings (FLB) in mechanical systems and to measure the effect of various operating parameters on the frictional loss of high-speed mechanical systems.

Design/methodology/approach

Two novel methods were studied in this paper to measure the FLB: the free-deceleration method and the energy-balance method. A special high-speed motorised spindle and a friction loss test rig were designed and built to measure the effects of rotational speed, lubrication, preload and operating temperature on the FLB.

Findings

The experimental results showed that the frictional torque of bearings increases initially but then decreases with an increase in rotational speed. Similarly, the FLB decreases initially and then increases with an increase in temperature because of the influence of the viscosity–temperature relationship of the lubricant and the thermomechanical coupling factor. The optimal lubricant flow was determined, and the effectiveness of a novel preload online adjusting device was verified through experiments.

Originality/value

The research results of this paper provide the basis and methods for the measurement, reduction and prediction of the FLB in mechanical systems.

Citation

Tian, S., Chen, X., Chen, T. and He, Y. (2019), "Experimental study on frictional loss of high-speed bearings based on free-deceleration and energy-balance methods", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 71 No. 4, pp. 509-514. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILT-07-2018-0281