A Study on the Life of the Bearing in Cooling/HVAC Fan Motors

This study aims to analyze the effect of design parameters on the lifespan of oil-impregnated sintered bearings. We experimented with both single and assembled bearings, and found that the bearing in a cooling/HVAC fan motor comes to the end of its life when the lubricating oil is decreased by half of the initial amount or more. We also found that the life could be extended by reducing the surface area exposed to ambient air and by setting proper oil flow paths inside. With these improvements, we were able to reduce oil consumption and more than double the life of the bearing.