Lubrication test assembly and method for measuring lubricant flow of a bearing inner ring using a lubrication test assembly

A method for measuring lubricant flow of a bearing inner ring using a lubrication test assembly, the method comprising:

• installing an inner ring of a bearing on a shaft, the shaft includes an outer radial side and an inner radial side, the inner radial side surrounds and forms an internal cavity and a shaft opening of the internal cavity, the shaft further forms a plurality of shaft lubrication passages, the plurality of shaft lubrication passages extend between and to the internal cavity and the outer radial side, and the inner ring is disposed on the outer radial side at the plurality of shaft lubrication passages;
• installing the shaft and the inner ring into a bearing cavity of a housing to form a plurality of separated lubricant channels within the bearing cavity, and the housing forms a plurality of outlets with each outlet of the plurality of outlets disposed at a respective lubricant channel of the plurality of separated lubricant channels;
• rotating the shaft and the inner ring, within the bearing cavity, about an axis;
• directing a lubricant into the internal cavity, while the shaft and the inner ring are rotating, to direct the lubricant through the plurality of shaft lubrication passages, through the inner ring, through the plurality of separated lubricant channels, to the plurality of outlets;
• separately collecting the lubricant from each outlet of the plurality of outlets;
• and
• separately measuring the lubricant collected from each outlet of the plurality of outlets.

An assembly comprising:

• a housing, the housing forms a bearing cavity, the housing further forms a first housing opening and a second housing opening of the bearing cavity along an axis, the housing includes a plurality of axially distributed lubricant separation walls, the plurality of axially distributed lubricant separation walls form and separate a plurality of lubricant channels within the bearing cavity, and the housing further forms a plurality of outlets with each outlet of the plurality of outlets disposed at a respective lubricant channel of the plurality of lubricant channels;
• a shaft disposed in the bearing cavity and configured for rotation about the axis, the shaft includes an outer radial side and an inner radial side, the inner radial side surrounds and forms an internal cavity, the internal cavity includes a shaft opening, the shaft opening is disposed at the second housing opening, the shaft extends between and to first axial shaft end and a second axial shaft end, the first axial shaft end is disposed at the first housing opening, the second axial shaft end is disposed at the second housing opening, the second axial shaft end forms the shaft opening, and the shaft further forms a plurality of shaft lubrication passages extending between and to the internal cavity and the outer radial side;
• and
• a bearing inner ring mounted on the outer radial side at the plurality of shaft lubrication passages, the bearing inner ring includes a first plurality of ring lubricant passages and a second plurality of ring lubricant passages, the first plurality of ring lubricant passages is connected in fluid communication with a first lubricant channel of the plurality of lubricant channels, and the second plurality of ring lubricant passages is connected in fluid communication with a second lubricant channel of the plurality of lubricant channels.