CFD-Based Analysis of Oil and Gas Two-Phase Flow Characteristics in Double-Row Tapered Roller Bearings with Different Rib Structures

Abstract

In this study, two-row tapered roller bearings (TBR) with different rib structures were tested under the condition of loss of lubrication. It was found that the double-row TBR with outer ring rib structure worked normally after 40 min of the test, but the inner ring The bearing of the side structure has failed. In order to explain this phenomenon, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulation models of two structural bearings were established, and the flow characteristics of the oil in the bearing cavity under the conditions of full lubrication and loss of lubrication were studied by the method of discrete inlet oil volume. The research results show that, in the fully lubricated state, the oil volume fraction of the double-row TBR outer ring wall of the outer ring rib structure is 11.296 times higher than that of the inner ring rib structure. Moreover, the volume fraction of oil on the roller surface is 2.07 times higher in the outer ring rib structure than the inner ring rib structure. The volume fraction of lubricating oil in the bearing cavity decreases as the speed increases; however, the double-row TBR with the outer ring rib structure still shows a better lubrication effect than the inner ring rib structure. In the final stage of the loss of lubrication, the volume fraction of the bearing flow field of the outer ring rib structure is twice that of the inner ring rib structure, making the outer ring rib structure double-row tapered roller bearing (TBR) more dry Operational ability.