Micro Pitting on Rolling Bearings I
The influence of transient operating conditions on the formation of micro pitting in rolling bearings and clarification of the mechanisms
Result
This research project succeeded in determining critical operating conditions that cause micro pitting in rolling bearings and in deriving fundamental correlations with respect to the location and intensity of such micro pitting. These can be summarized as follows:
- Mixed friction conditions and a lubricant critical to micro pitting are the basic requirements for micro pitting in rolling bearings.
- Micro pitting presents itself differently in gears than in rolling bearings, with respect to its emergence and spread. In gearing, the first micro pitting appears in the area of large amounts of slippage and extends from there. In roller bearings by contrast, with low amounts of negative slippage.
Motivation
Rolling bearings in highly dynamic applications, such as wind turbines, show damage in the form of micro pitting that cannot be explained by classic rolling bearing fatigue theory. The reasons for this are so far largely unknown. This project is designed to help assess the risk of micro pitting in rolling bearings and to reveal possible corrective measures and additional design criteria.
Promoted by
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
Project Sponsor
Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Forschungsvereinigungen e.V., AIF for short
Research Association for Drive Technology, FVA for short