Purpose – This paper aims to prevent oil starvation and improve the service life of the rolling bearings. Design/methodology/approach – A thrust ball bearing with magnetic circuit structure is proposed for ferrofluid lubrication. With the aid of magnetic field, ferrofluid can be maintained in the contact area of rolling bodies to delay lubricant loss. Experiments are performed to ensure the validity of the designed bearing. Findings – Compared with conventional lubricant, service life of the ferrofluid lubricated bearing can be prolonged under magnetic field. In addition, with a proper magnetic field distribution, lubricant starvation may be limited under the conditions of present experiments. Originality/value – This work provides a method to control the starved lubrication of rolling bearings with restricted lubricant supply.

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