Cylindrical roller bearings in Oil and natural gas are the “lifelines” of modern industrial civilization and the most important basic energy sources in the world today. The equipment in the oil and gas industry not only carries huge investments, but also serves as the core of modern energy supply.

Whether drilling on land or offshore platforms, any equipment shutdown can result in significant financial losses. The normal operation of the equipment directly affects the success or failure of every project.

Fracturing pump is the core equipment for shale oil and gas development, and its power end crankshaft bearing bears huge radial impact load and alternating stress, which is a key component that determines the reliability and service life of the whole machine. Cylindrical roller bearings have become the mainstream choice for crankshaft support in hydraulic fracturing pumps due to their high radial load-bearing capacity, good rigidity, impact resistance, and separable structure.

The fracturing pump is a reciprocating, positive displacement, single acting plunger pump, consisting of a power end assembly and a hydraulic end assembly. The power end assembly is essentially a power conversion device, which converts the rotational motion of the prime mover into the linear reciprocating motion of the plunger. It mainly consists of a parallel gear set, a crankshaft assembly, a crosshead assembly, a pump housing, and a lubrication system.

The crankshaft is the most crucial load-bearing component in the power end. Taking a typical five cylinder hydraulic fracturing pump as an example, the crankshaft is an integral alloy steel forging, which is processed by heat treatment and polishing, and usually consists of six journal shafts and five crankshafts.

The crankshaft is installed in the bearing seat hole of the power end housing through bearings, and the bearings can rotate and move with the crankshaft in the bearing seat. For a five cylinder fracturing pump, the crankshaft often adopts a six support five crank integral structure supported by heavy-duty cylindrical roller bearings. In some fracturing pump designs, the crankshaft is supported by four or six heavy-duty cylindrical roller bearings.

Cylindrical roller bearings play a dominant role in the crankshaft support of hydraulic fracturing pumps, mainly due to the following technological advantages:

• Ultra high radial load-bearing capacity.The cylindrical roller is in linear contact with the raceway, and its radial load-bearing capacity is 1.5 to 3 times higher than that of ball bearings of the same size. The crankshaft of the hydraulic fracturing pump is subjected to extremely high connecting rod forces – taking the 2800Hp hydraulic fracturing pump as an example, the maximum connecting rod force reaches 1020kN – and the linear contact characteristics of the cylindrical roller bearing enable it to effectively carry such heavy loads and impact loads.

（2） Good rigidity and impact resistance. Cylindrical roller bearings have good rigidity and impact resistance, especially suitable for shafts with rigid support and axial displacement caused by thermal elongation. The crankshaft in hydraulic fracturing pump operation is frequently impacted by alternating loads, and the structural rigidity of cylindrical roller bearings can effectively maintain the positioning accuracy of the shaft system.

（3） Separable structure facilitates installation and maintenance. The inner or outer ring of cylindrical roller bearings can be separated for easy installation and disassembly. The on-site operating conditions of fracturing pumps are limited, and the detachable characteristics of bearings greatly reduce the difficulty of disassembly and maintenance time.

（4） Adapt to axial displacement caused by thermal expansion. N-type and NU type cylindrical roller bearings can move axially and adapt to changes in the relative position between the shaft and the housing caused by thermal expansion or installation errors. They can be used as free end supports. The significant temperature rise of the crankshaft during continuous operation of the fracturing pump effectively avoids additional axial loads caused by thermal expansion.

The cylindrical roller bearings supplied by our company improve the efficiency and durability of equipment by reducing friction and wear. They are widely used in the crankshaft position of hydraulic fracturing pumps, covering pump types from 300HP to 5000HP, and can be customized according to customer needs. Guarding energy security with reliability and responding to development rhythms with customization – we firmly believe that only by resisting wear and tear in details can we capture energy in deep ground. Welcome to inquire about technical solutions at any time, let’s work together to ensure the sustained high production of every well.