Thursday, March 24, 2011

Lubrication - The Silent Component of Machinery:

The function of a lubrication medium is:
1. To form a film between moving bearing components so that metal to metal contact is prevented.
2. To reduce friction and eliminate wear
3. To protect against corrosion
4. To seal against impurities like dust, dirt, water.
In order for the oil film to be formed between the moving bearing 
components, the film must be sufficiently thick even under heavy 
load, high temperatures or vibrations.

Some sleeve bearings that has very heavy loads, like in the 
crosshead bearings of diesel engines, usually have provisions for 
injecting pressurized oil to float the shafts. This method is 
called hydrostatic lubrication.
However, the most common method of lubrication for sleeve bearings 
is by the hydrodynamic method. When the two surfaces of a bearing 
and shaft move rapidly relative to one another, the oil is carried 
along the shaft to fill the gap between shaft and bearing. When 
the moving components become completely separated by a cohesive 
film of lubricant, hydrodynamic lubrication occurs. Hydrodynamic 
lubrication prevents wear in moving parts, as there is no metallic 
contact between them. The bearing metals can last for a long time.
During starting time, the rotating shaft does not have sufficient 
speed to pick up the lubricant. The film separating the moving 
surfaces is very thin - with only the thickness of a molecule. This 
is a condition called boundary-layer lubrication. With this 
condition, friction losses increases, producing heat, which raises 
the temperature of the lubricant, thereby reducing its viscosity so 
that the load-carrying capacity of the film is even lower. In worst 
case conditions, the surfaces can even seize together.
For rolling contact bearings like ball bearings, a condition called 
elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication occurs. At the point of contact, 
the ball deflects and flattens out slightly for a moment under the 
high pressure. When the ball rolls on, the contact surfaces return 
to their original shape. However, the lubricant is not forced away 
from the point of contact due to the dramatic increase in viscosity. 
When the ball has passed, the viscosity falls back again.
When grease is used for lubricating ball bearings, they also act as 
protection against impurities like dust, dirt and water that will 
cause wear down and corrosion.
More about oils and grease for lubrication could be the subject of 
the next topic.
Until next time...
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Thomas Yoon's skill in illustration/writing has enabled him to produce numerous ebooks on engineering subjects that can be downloaded at Engineering E-books. He has also produced an ebook on "50 Secrets of Truth and Life" that is fully illustrated with cartoons in a humorous way. Subscribe to facworld ezine More information at Marine Engineer andM & E Engineer

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