Failure of high-speed bearing at cyclic impact-sliding contacts: Numerical and experimental analysis

Abstract

The thermal-induced failure mechanism of the bearing outer-ring guiding-surface is investigated within this work when subjected to cyclic impact and sliding actions. The paper combines numerical simulations and experimental analysis. A high-speed bearing oil interruption experiment is carried out for testing the severe damage of the bearing steel at high-speed impact-sliding contacts. A coupled thermo-elasto-plastic phase-field model is established and validated by experimental results. It then allows, by simulating the multi-physics problem, the predictions of damage propagation and failure for ductile materials at cyclic impact-sliding contacts. To this end, a temperature-dependent isotropic-kinematic hardening model combined with thermal softening, cyclic strain hardening, and damage degradation is employed. The results show that under high-speed cyclic impact-sliding conditions, the damage initiated and accumulated at the contact near-surface is accompanied by instantaneous high temperature and plastic deformation. The failure of bearing is induced by a strong thermal softening effect at high-speed sliding and rapidly propagated under cyclic impact loading. In addition, the impact velocity, impact frequency, and friction coefficient have significant effects on damage initiation and accumulation.