Progress in rolling bearing technology for refrigerant compressors

Abstract

The paper describes the latest technological solutions in rolling bearings (ball and roller) used in refrigerant compressors. First, the numerous tribological challenges faced by rolling contacts in a lubricant environment made of oil and refrigerant mixture are discussed. It is followed by a description of the even tougher conditions derived by the replacement of the more chemically stable pre-Montreal and pre-Kyoto Protocol refrigerants by the new generation of more environmental friendly refrigerants. In these conditions, rolling bearings are expected to suffer from surface distress and sometimes corrosion fatigue. Thus, attempts to model these conditions by using advanced tribological models are described. Finally, descriptions of different solutions in rolling bearings in refrigerant compressors facing challenges in lubrication and bearing life are described, all the way from traditional oil–refrigerant mixture lubrication up to the latest innovation related to oil-free lubrication, namely the pure refrigerant lubrication.