Study of a long-life thrust needle roller bearing lubricated with low viscous lubricant

摘要

Thrust needle roller bearings are lubricated with a liquid mixture of cooling medium and refrigerant oil when they are used in compressors of car air-conditioners. Recently, less viscous refrigerant oil is used to improve energy efficiency of compressors, and consequently, the bearing lubrication performance tends to increasingly deteriorate. Longer lasting bearings are hence needed against the poor lubrication condition. This study both experimentally and numerically reveals the damage mechanism of thrust needle roller bearings lubricated with low viscous lubricant, and propose a new bearing design for fatigue life extension.