Influence of temperature on dynamic contact characteristics of oil-jet lubricated rolling bearings

The temperature variation alters the contact state of each component during the operating process of oil-jet lubricated rolling bearings, which directly affects the dynamic performance of the bearing. However, previous studies on the dynamics of oil-jet lubricated rolling bearings do not comprehensively consider the influence of temperature factors. In addition, the impact of the temperature on the dynamic contact characteristics of the bearing is rarely investigated. To fill these gaps, this study develops a finite element model based on the mechanism of heat generation and transfer of the bearing to simulate the bearing temperature field and obtain the temperature of various components. On this basis, a dynamic model of an oil-jet lubricated axle box bearing is established to explore the influence of the radial clearance, internal temperature of the axle box and lubricating oil temperature on the contact force between the race and the rolling body by considering the influence of temperatures on the thermal deformation, lubricating oil parameters and equivalent stiffness. It was found that the influence of the temperature on bearings is primarily manifested in the elastic modulus, lubricating oil viscosity, oil film thickness, equivalent stiffness and thermal deformation. The contact force between the rolling body and the race increases significantly when the lubricating oil temperature is high, which may result in bearing pitting failure. These analysis results can provide a theoretical foundation for bearing parameter design and life research.