Numerical Simulation Method of Grease Flow in a Grease Groove with Experimental Validation

The flow process and characteristics of lubricating grease have a significant impact on the lubrication performance of bearings. Based on the rheological parameters of lubricating grease and the Cross rheology model, this paper proposed a lubricating grease flow simulation method in the grease groove based on user defined functions (UDFs) combined with the finite volume method (FVM) and verifies the rationality of the simulation method through visualization experiments. The flow characteristics of lubricating grease in the grease groove were studied under three different grease delivery angles. Additionally, it was observed that the lubricating grease ceased to flow in the groove during the delivery process, and the simulation method was used to analyze and explain this phenomenon.