4 ms·
Right. High thermal gradients through ball bearings or roller bearings are tricky, and you don't get much contact area for thermal conduction in the bearing (m
by KMag 5y ago
Right. High thermal gradients through ball bearings or roller bearings are tricky, and you don't get much contact area for thermal conduction in the bearing (meaning most bearing applications need to be mindful of cooling). (Pro tip from MIT 2.72: make sure to position bearings such that thermal stress from the shaft undergoing more thermal expansion than the rest of the machine doesn't jam the bearings.)
I guess you'd want a bearing with sodium-potassium alloy (hazmat!) or mercury (hazmat!) or something. Or... make the casing for the shaft into a heat pipe with ammonia or alcohol vapor.
- convolvatron 5y agoWhat about old style Babbitt bearings
- KMag 5y agoYou're right. Plain bearings provide plenty of contact surface for thermal conduction. Though, thermal expansion will tend to increase clearance and decrease contact area (ignoring differences in thermal expansion between dissimilar materials).