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 exterior lubrication for use in submersible pumps handling cryogenic gases corresponding to hydrogen and LNG.
NSK has developed particular shaft bearings with a cage made 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 increasing adoption in submersible pumps as a rising number of initiatives promote the utilization of hydrogen as an power source. These projects usually use special submersible pumps that can reliably pump gaseous and liquid media in continuous or intermittent operation at low temperatures down to round -200°C.
In such pumps, the double bearing of the pump shaft is a important design element. Corrosion resistance is important, and no lubricant can be used apart from the media washing around the bearing. However, this places powerful calls for on the material pairing.
So NSK has developed a sequence of deep groove ball bearings specifically for these exceptional working circumstances, and various other key design options present differentiation from standard pump bearings. For example, the inside and outer rings are manufactured from a stainless-steel adapted to the special requirements of rolling bearings.
เกจวัดแรงดันลมคือ that occupies the entire internal volume of the bearing offers steering for the rolling elements (also made from stainless steel), whereas the cage material, a self-lubricating fluoroplastic, ensures low friction running of the bearing with out exterior lubrication. In addition, the high-performance fluoroplastic is extraordinarily wear-resistant and provides good low-temperature properties at speeds up to 3600 rpm. The cage has a two-piece design, with the two halves joined by stainless steel rivets.
The NSK bearings can be found in numerous sizes (shaft diameter 30–100 mm) and are designed to be used in both larger hydrogen pumping services and decentralised applications, such as hydrogen filling stations.
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