Bearing PV Factor
Calculate the PV factor of a bearing or self-lubricating bushing, PV = P × V, multiplying the specific pressure P (load over projected area) by the sliding velocity V at the surface. The result, in MPa·m/s, is the limiting criterion for selecting materials for non-force-lubricated bearings (sintered bronze bushings, polymers like PTFE and nylon): each material has a maximum allowable PV value, above which the friction heat cannot be dissipated and the bearing fails by melting or accelerated wear. PV is kept below the material limit with a safety margin. Enter the specific pressure and the velocity.
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Bearing PV factor
Not every bearing has oil pumped into it under pressure: many rely on self-lubricating bushings — oil-impregnated sintered bronze, polymers such as PTFE (Teflon), nylon or acetal, or composite materials — that run under boundary lubrication or fully dry. For those, the key selection criterion is neither pressure nor speed on its own, but the product of the two: the PV factor = P × V, where P is the specific pressure (load divided by the projected bearing area, in MPa) and V is the sliding velocity of the surface (m/s). The result, in MPa·m/s, is proportional to the rate of frictional heat generation per unit area — and heat is precisely the enemy here: with no oil circulating to carry it away, heat builds up, raises the temperature of the bushing and, once the material limit is exceeded, brings on softening, melting (in polymers), expansion and seizure, or accelerated wear. That is why every material comes with a maximum allowable PV tabulated by the manufacturer (virgin PTFE has a low PV; filled PTFE compounds a much higher one; sintered bronze, higher still). Design consists of keeping the operating PV below the material limit with a safety margin — and watching the separate limits on P (which causes deformation and extrusion) and on V (which causes surface melting), since the same PV can be reached through dangerous combinations. Enter the specific pressure and the velocity.
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Bearing Speed Factor
Calculate a bearing's speed factor, A = n·d_m, from the rotation n (rpm) and the bearing mean diameter d_m (mm, = (D + d)/2, the average of outer and inner diameters). The n·d_m factor (often in mm·rpm, or m/min times the perimeter) is the key indicator of a bearing's SPEED DUTY, and governs several application limits. It sets the operating LIMIT SPEED: each bearing (and each lubrication type) has a maximum n·d_m above which friction heating, centrifugal force on the rolling elements and dynamic effects make operation unfeasible — grease lubrication tolerates lower values, oil higher, and special systems (oil jet, mist) the highest (high-speed bearings, like turbine and machine-tool spindle bearings, reach n·d_m in the millions). The speed factor also influences the bearing type choice (balls take more speed than rollers), the lubricant and the internal clearance (fast bearings may need larger clearance to accommodate thermal expansion). Comparing the application's n·d_m with the bearing limit is an essential check in medium- and high-speed rotating machines. Enter the rotation and the mean diameter.
Sommerfeld Number
Calculate the Sommerfeld number of a journal bearing, S = (r ÷ c)²·(μ·N ÷ P), from the radius-to-clearance ratio (r/c), the lubricant dynamic viscosity μ, the rotational speed N (rev/s) and the specific pressure P (load over projected area). The dimensionless result is the characteristic parameter defining a hydrodynamic bearing's behaviour: it sets the minimum oil film thickness, shaft position, friction and lubricant flow. Low values mean a heavily loaded bearing (contact risk); high values, excessive clearance. It is the basis of bearing design via Raimondi-Boyd charts. Enter the r/c ratio, the viscosity, the speed and the pressure.
Reliability-Adjusted Life (Bearing)
Calculate a bearing's adjusted life for a reliability other than 90%, L_na = a_1·L10, from the reliability factor a_1 (dimensionless) and the nominal life L10 (in millions of revolutions). The standard L10 life corresponds to 90% reliability (10% failures). But many CRITICAL applications — where a bearing failure is unacceptable (turbines, aerospace, medical equipment, continuous-process machines) — require HIGHER reliabilities (95%, 99%, 99.9%). Since demanding higher reliability means accepting FEWER failures, the corresponding life is SHORTER: a_1 is below 1 for reliabilities above 90%. Typical values: a_1 = 1.0 for 90% (L10), 0.64 for 95% (L5), 0.21 for 99% (L1), 0.093 for 99.9% (L0.1). For example, to ensure 99% of bearings survive (instead of 90%), the design life drops to about 21% of L10. This is one of the 'modified life' corrections in the standards (ISO 281), which also include factors for material and lubricant quality and contamination (the more sophisticated a_ISO factor). Adjusting life for required reliability is essential in critical designs: simply using L10 (90%) would be too risky for a turbine, and too conservative for a household fan. Enter the reliability factor and the L10 life.
Hersey Number
Calculate the Hersey number of a bearing, H = μ·N ÷ P, from the dynamic viscosity μ, the rotational speed N and the specific pressure P. The dimensionless result is the horizontal-axis variable of the Stribeck curve, which maps the lubrication regimes: very low values indicate boundary lubrication (metal-to-metal contact, high friction and wear); intermediate values, mixed lubrication; and high values, full hydrodynamic lubrication (complete film, minimum friction). Tracking the Hersey number helps keep the bearing in the hydrodynamic regime, away from contact. Enter the viscosity, the speed and the pressure.
Eccentricity Ratio
Calculate the eccentricity ratio of a hydrodynamic bearing, ε = e ÷ c, dividing the eccentricity e (shaft centre offset from bearing centre) by the radial clearance c. The result (between 0 and 1) describes the shaft position within the bearing under load: ε = 0 means a centred shaft (no load); ε near 1 means the shaft nearly touches the bearing (heavily loaded, minimum film at the limit). Eccentricity grows with load and decreases with viscosity and speed. The minimum film thickness is h_min = c·(1 − ε). Enter the eccentricity and the radial clearance.
Friction Torque
Calculate the friction torque in a shaft or bearing, T = μ·F·r, multiplying the friction coefficient μ by the normal force (load) F and the radius r where friction acts. The result, in N·m, is the moment friction opposes to rotation — the torque the motor must overcome just to turn the assembly, without doing useful work. Reducing friction torque (with lubrication, rolling bearings and good finishes) saves energy and lowers heating. Multiplied by the angular velocity, it gives the power dissipated by friction. Enter the friction coefficient, the force and the radius.
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