NSK develops self-lubricating rolling bearings

NSK Europe, the European arm of Japanese bearing manufacturer NSK, has developed deep groove ball bearings that do not require external lubrication for use in submersible pumps handling cryogenic gases similar to hydrogen and LNG.
NSK has developed particular shaft bearings with a cage produced from self-lubricating fluoroplastic for submersible pumps that deal with cryogenic gases and liquids.
The stainless-steel bearings with a cage made from self-lubricating fluoroplastic are seeing rising adoption in submersible pumps as a growing number of projects promote using hydrogen as an energy source. These projects often use special submersible pumps that may reliably pump gaseous and liquid media in steady or intermittent operation at low temperatures down to around -200°C.
In such pumps, the double bearing of the pump shaft is a crucial design element. Corrosion resistance is important, and no lubricant can be utilized other than the media washing around the bearing. However, เกจวัดแรงดันออกซิเจนราคา on the material pairing.
So NSK has developed a sequence of deep groove ball bearings particularly for these exceptional operating circumstances, and several key design options present differentiation from typical pump bearings. For instance, the inner and outer rings are made of a chrome steel tailored to the special necessities of rolling bearings.
A steady cage that occupies the whole internal quantity of the bearing offers steering for the rolling parts (also made from stainless steel), while the cage materials, a self-lubricating fluoroplastic, ensures low friction running of the bearing without exterior lubrication. In addition, the high-performance fluoroplastic is extraordinarily wear-resistant and offers good low-temperature properties at speeds up to 3600 rpm. The cage has a two-piece design, with the two halves joined by chrome steel rivets.
The NSK bearings are available in varied sizes (shaft diameter 30–100 mm) and are designed to be used in both larger hydrogen pumping facilities and decentralised applications, corresponding to hydrogen filling stations.
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