Particle Image Velocimetry measurements inside a tapered roller bearing with an outer ring made of sapphire: Design and operation of an innovative test rig

Journal article, 2022

Experimental studies on rolling-element bearing lubrication represent an ambitious engineering challenge. In the present study, the design of a dedicated test rig to perform Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements on the lubricant inside a tapered roller bearing is presented. Through the usage of a sapphire outer ring, it has been possible to optically access the inside of a bearing without compromising its kinematics. PIV measurements allowed the reconstruction of the lubricant velocity field in the cavity between the cage and the outer ring at different rotational speeds. Results show that as the speed of rotation increases, bubbles due to aeration phenomena tend to appear and modify the behavior of the lubricant considerably.