Starvation in ball bearings

Abstract A complex analytical model for the starvation mechanism in ball-race contacts, in correlation with thermal effects, has been developed. From the theoretical results it was found that in high speed, mist-lubricated ball bearings, the reduction factor of the film thickness by starvation and thermal effects can be computed in correlation with the ball-race lateral oil meniscus thicknesses. Experimental investigations of 7206 C angular contact ball bearings, operating between 5000 and 35 000 min −1 , are in good correlation with the theoretical results when only starvation and inlet shear heating have been included. When the ball bearing temperature increases, both the theoretical and experimental results show that starvation occurs at smaller ball-race lateral oil meniscus thicknesses, by decreasing the oil viscosity.