Analytical study about effects of kerosene lubrication on slip, heat, and temperature of a cylindrical roller bearing

An aero-engine’s cost, weight, and complexity can be greatly reduced if fuel is used for lubrication instead of oil. However, there are not many published works about the effect of fuel lubrication on the rolling element bearings’ motion. This research analytically investigates the effects of kerosene lubrication on the cage slip, heat generation, and temperature of a cylindrical roller bearing. We developed an in-house program composed of a simplified quasi-static model to predict the cage slip and a thermal network model to predict the bearing’s heat generation and temperature. The in-house program was verified with respect to data from previous researches. Four types of lubrication were investigated using the in-house program: under-race lubrication by oil, under-race lubrication by fuel, jet lubrication by oil, and jet lubrication by fuel. We conducted a parametric study by changing the bearing’s rotational speed, lubricant flowrate, and inlet lubricant temperature to compare the kerosene lubrication of an imaginary aircraft engine bearing to conventional oil lubrication.