OPENTECHNICAL PUBLICATION
OT-2026-000000694

Bearing assembly with internal prime-retaining pressurized lubrication system

Published: 2026-09-15T19:03:15.976950Z
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000000694
Categories: Industrial Motion & Power Transmission > Rotary Motion

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ABSTRACT

An internal pressurized lubrication system of a radial support bearing
assembly includes oil passages within a bearing housing that comprise a
charge-retaining section bounded by vertical or upward-sloping passages and
configured to retain an oil charge therein during a shutdown. A vent bleeds
air into the suction side of the passages during a shutdown, thereby
preventing syphoning of the oil charge from the charge-retaining section. In
embodiments, a rear cover plug is doubly sealed to the bearing housing body,
and air is substantially unable to enter the oil passages via the bearing or
via the vent during a shutdown, such that the passages remain oil-filled and
the pump prime is retained for an extended time period. The bearing assembly
can further include a thrust bearing, and/or an axial displacement measurement
probe parallel with the shaft-driven oil pump. The radial support bearing can
be a journal bearing.

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OpenTechnical publication OT-2026-000000694
Published 2026-09-15T19:03:15.976950Z
https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000000694