The influence of external dynamic loads on the lifetime of rolling element bearings: Experimental analysis of the lubricant film and surface wear

Precise prediction of the lifetime of rolling element bearings is a crucial step towards a reliable design of many rotating machines. For bearings subjected to highly varying loads, recent research emphasises a strong reduction of the actual bearing lifetime w.r.t. the classically calculated bearing lifetime. This paper experimentally analyses the influence of external dynamic loads on the lifetime of rolling element bearings. A novel bearing test rig is introduced. The test rig is able to apply a fully controlled multi-axial static and dynamic load on a single test bearing. Also, different types and sizes of bearings can be tested. Two separate investigations are conducted. First, the behaviour of the lubricant film between the rolling elements and raceways is analysed. Increased metallic contact or breakdown of the film during dynamic excitation is investigated based on the measured electrical resistance through the bearing. The study shows that the lubricant film thickness follows the imposed variations of the load. Variations of the lubricant film thickness are similar to the variations when the magnitude of the static bearing load is changed. Second, wear of the raceway surfaces is analysed. Surface wear is investigated after a series of accelerated lifetime tests under high dynamic load. Due to sliding motion between asperities of the contacting surfaces in the bearing, polishing of the raceway honing structure occurs. This polishing is clearly observed on SEM images of the inner raceway after a test duration of only 0.5% of the calculated L10 life. Polishing wear of the surfaces, such as surface induced cracks and material delamination, is expected when the bearing is further exposed to the high dynamic load.