Lifetime influence of cage pocket wear in transfer lubrication of solid-lubricated roller bearings

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Bernd Sauer
• Subject Area: Engineering Design, Machine Elements, Product Development
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 335747258

Typically the main components of rolling bearings are the inner and outer race, the rolling element complement as well as the bearing cage ensuring the rolling element spacing. For various reasons the cage pockets may have different diameters. Recent research into solid-lubricated rolling bearings has shown major influence of cage pocket diameter variations on the frictional energy within the rolling element-cage-contact thus affecting the power dissipation of the overall bearing as well as cage dynamics. This project aims at analyzing the impact of cage pocket wear of solid-lubricated rolling bearings on the frictional energy within each individual cage pocket and the entire cage dynamic. Besides keeping the rolling elements apart, the cage of solid-lubricated rolling bearings provides additional lubrication. Lubricant transfer from the cage pocket to the rolling contact significantly affects the bearing life time. Thus reduced cage pocket wear just about the sufficient level for the required contact lubrication may lead to increased bearing life-time and utilization.Initially tribometer tests are used to achieve relevant friction as well as wear parameters of the used material pairings. Those results are the necessary basis for the simulation models enabling a detailed contact analysis within the bearing. In addition component tests are used to achieve experimental validation of the simulation models.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants