The use of FEM to evaluate the influence of logarithmic correction parameters of roller generators on the axle box bearing life

Agniezka Chudzik,Bogdan Warda

doi:10.2478/mme-2021-0008

Abstract

Abstract In the roller-raceway contacts of the radial cylindrical roller bearing used in the axle boxes of a railway bogie, pressure accumulation may occur, reducing the fatigue life. This accumulation can be eliminated by applying logarithmic correction of generators and in particular varieties of the modified logarithmic correction. The correction parameters should be adapted to the operating conditions of the bearing. This article presents a comparison of the predicted fatigue life of an axle box bearing on correctly selected correction parameters with bearing life, in which correction of roller generators was used, typical for cylindrical roller bearings of general application. The finite element method was used to determine the subsurface stress distributions necessary to calculate the fatigue life.

Highlights

At the ends of the contact lines of bodies with different curvatures and rectilinear generators, there is pressure accumulation and, as a consequence, the accumulation of subsurface stresses determines the fatigue life
This article presents a comparison of the predicted fatigue life of an axle box bearing on correctly selected correction parameters with bearing life, in which correction of roller generators was used, typical for cylindrical roller bearings of general application
Calculations of the predicted fatigue life of the axle box bearing show how much impact the selection of appropriate correction parameters of roller generators has on the bearing durability

Summary

Introduction

The problem of determining the shape of a roller generator, ensuring the pressure distribution closest to the distribution for the Hertzian linear contact, was first undertaken by Lundberg [2]. It follows that the maximum pressure occurring in the rollerraceway contact will be much smaller than in generalpurpose bearings The consequence of this fact is the need to select the correction parameters of roller generators in such a way as to ensure the maximum capacity of the contact, and the greatest fatigue life of the axle box bearing. Determination of fatigue life of a radial cylindrical roller bearing in which correction of rolling elements generators has been applied is possible only with the use of computer technology In this case, the method of predicting durability requires finding local values of subsurface stress on which the bearing life depends. Ements [19,20,21], while solid FEM models of a bearing fragment were used to analyze phenomena occurring in a single contact [22,23,24,25,26]

Determination of subsurface

Parameters of the tested axle box bearing

Distribution of maximum subsurface stress and their depth of occurrence

Results of the calculations of predicted fatigue life of the axle box bearing

Findings

Conclusions