On the wear and failure of high speed roller bearings

Abstract

A laboratory bearing test rig was constructed to study wear and failure mechanisms in high speed roller bearings under different conditions of loading and lubrication. The design of the rig permitted three bearings to be tested simultaneously. A test run of 720 h duration was performed during which wear of the bearings was monitored using ferrography and atomic absorption oil analysis. Wear debris particles collected from the bearings by ferrography were studied with scanning electron microscopy using energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The results of ferrography were correlated with the metallographic observations made on the worn bearings. It was found that for lightly loaded high speed roller bearings rolling contact fatigue including surface pitting is not a significant wear or failure mechanism. However, misalignment due to shaft deflection above a critical point cannot be tolerated. Wear of high speed engine bearings can successfully be monitored by ferrography but, as the wear condition accelerates, frequent oil sample collections are beneficial.