NSK Europe, the European arm of Japanese bearing manufacturer NSK, has developed deep groove ball bearings that do not require external lubrication to be used in submersible pumps dealing with cryogenic gases such as 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 manufactured from self-lubricating fluoroplastic are seeing growing adoption in submersible pumps as a rising number of tasks promote the usage of hydrogen as an energy supply. These tasks often use special submersible pumps that can reliably pump gaseous and liquid media in continuous or intermittent operation at low temperatures down to around -200°C.
In such pumps, the double bearing of the pump shaft is a important design factor. Corrosion resistance is essential, and no lubricant can be utilized apart from the media washing across the bearing. However, this locations powerful demands on the fabric pairing.
So NSK has developed a series of deep groove ball bearings particularly for these distinctive working circumstances, and several key design features present differentiation from standard pump bearings. For example, the internal and outer rings are made of a stainless-steel adapted to the particular necessities of rolling bearings.
A steady cage that occupies the whole inside volume of the bearing provides steering for the rolling elements (also manufactured from stainless steel), while the cage material, a self-lubricating fluoroplastic, ensures low friction working of the bearing with out external lubrication. In addition, the high-performance fluoroplastic is extraordinarily wear-resistant and offers good low-temperature properties at speeds up to 3600 rpm. pressure gauge has a two-piece design, with the two halves joined by stainless-steel rivets.
The NSK bearings are available in various sizes (shaft diameter 30–100 mm) and are designed to be used in each bigger hydrogen pumping facilities and decentralised applications, corresponding to hydrogen filling stations.
Share