The thickness of the oil film in ceramic ball bearings varies greatly at starved lubrication conditions, thus leading to non-uniform contact between the balls and raceways in the circumference. The lubrication parameters have a direct impact on the thickness of the oil film and then affect the dynamic characteristics of the ceramic ball bearings. A nonlinear dynamic model of ceramic ball bearing with limited lubrication is presented in this paper, and parametric studies on the effect of lubrication parameters are conducted. In starved conditions, the uneven contact between the ball and ring leads to changes in vibration, and the inner ring vibration is applied to evaluate the degree of starved lubrication. The results show that as the oil quantity increases, the bearing stiffness increases and results in increased peak frequency. As the oil quantity decreases, the thickness of the oil film reduces, resulting in the bearing vibration increase. The research findings provide a theoretical reference for ceramic ball bearing design and have guided significance for improving the service performance of ceramic ball bearings.
Effect of the Lubrication Parameters on the Ceramic Ball Bearing Vibration in Starved Conditions