Numerical modelling of rolling contact fatigue damage initiation from non-metallic inclusions in bearing steel

Gopalakrishnan Ravi*, Wim De Waele, Ksenija Nikolic, Roumen Petrov, Stijn Hertelé

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)
67 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Bearing failure is a cause of concern in a variety of machinery such as turbines, transmissions, drills, engines, etc. It is often associated with rolling contact fatigue (RCF) triggered from damage initiation at non-metallic inclusions (NMI's). Experimental evidence shows that damage initiation lifetime is highly sensitive to the NMI characteristics and its bonding with the steel matrix. This study numerically investigates the role of NMI features and its bonding with the steel matrix on damage initiation lifetime. NMI characteristics modelled in this study are derived from an experimental investigation of a failed bearing. Simulation results highlight a near to instantaneous debonding at the matrix-inclusion interface followed by accelerated crack initiation. The critical depth for damage initiation shifts towards the surface with the increase in friction coefficient between roller and raceway. The simulations also reveal that larger inclusions show earlier damage initiation, indicating a size effect. The damage hotspots from the simulation results were compared with experimental findings and a hypothesis for crack initiation from a NMI is put forward.

Original languageEnglish
Article number108290
Number of pages13
JournalTribology International
Volume180
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Bibliographical note

Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care
Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.

Keywords

  • Crack initiation
  • Debonding
  • Finite element simulation
  • Non-metallic inclusion
  • Rolling contact fatigue

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