Analysis of Particle Entrapment in Hybrid Lubricated Bearings
Résumé
Hybrid ceramic rolling element bearings (REBs) have been developed for current challenges imposed to machine elements (faster rotational speed, electrical or thermal insulation needs). REBs operate generally under contaminated environment which can lead to particle entrapment. Steel-steel contacts were widely experimentally studied but quite a few numerical investigations exist. The idea of this work is to study both experimentally and numerically the specificity of debris entrapment in hybrid ceramic contacts. A quantitative description of the life cycle of spherical M50-steel particles is possible. On the one hand numerical simulations which solve the dynamic of the ductile particles in the lubricant interstice, allow to compute particle trajectories. On the other hand, experiments on a twin-disc test rig highlight the specificity of indentation phenomena. The combination of these two methods allows a better understanding of the particle entrapment phenomena in hybrid contacts.