Electrical discharges in oil-lubricated rolling contacts and their detection using electrostatic sensing technique
Electrical discharges in oil-lubricated rolling contacts and their detection using electrostatic sensing technique
The reliability of rolling element bearings has been substantially undermined by the presence of parasitic and stray currents. Electrical discharges can occur between the raceway and the rolling elements and it has been previously shown that these discharges at relatively high current density levels can result in fluting and corrugation damages. Recent publications have shown that for a bearing operating at specific mechanical conditions (load, temperature, speed, and slip), electrical discharges at low current densities (<1 mA/mm2) may substantially reduce bearing life due to the formation of white etching cracks (WECs) in bearing components, often in junction with lubricants. To date, limited studies have been conducted to understand the electrical discharges at relatively low current densities (<1 mA/mm2), partially due to the lack of robust techniques for in-situ quantification of discharges. This study, using voltage measurement and electrostatic sensors, investigates discharges in an oil-lubricated steel-steel rolling contact on a TE74 twin-roller machine under a wide range of electrical and mechanical conditions. The results show that the discharges events between the rollers are influenced by temperature, load, and speed due to changes in the lubricant film thickness and contact area, and the sensors are effective in detecting, characterizing and quantifying the discharges. Hence, these sensors can be effectively used to study the influence of discharges on WEC formation.
WEC formation, detection and diagnosis, electrical discharges, electrostatic sensor, quantification algorithm, voltage measurement technique, Electrical discharges, Detection and diagnosis, Electrostatic sensor, Voltage measurement technique, Quantification algorithm
Esmaeili, Kamran
99ab4049-5a0c-46dd-9478-91fc9c82f711
Wang, Ling
c50767b1-7474-4094-9b06-4fe64e9fe362
Harvey, Terry J.
4a626b50-688f-4238-bba0-f0a7d4dee2c4
White, Neil M.
ad637f36-434c-4657-a112-252be825d8a9
Holweger, Walter
8160e635-5bb4-438f-89e7-3beb7abdc56a
5 January 2022
Esmaeili, Kamran
99ab4049-5a0c-46dd-9478-91fc9c82f711
Wang, Ling
c50767b1-7474-4094-9b06-4fe64e9fe362
Harvey, Terry J.
4a626b50-688f-4238-bba0-f0a7d4dee2c4
White, Neil M.
ad637f36-434c-4657-a112-252be825d8a9
Holweger, Walter
8160e635-5bb4-438f-89e7-3beb7abdc56a
Esmaeili, Kamran, Wang, Ling, Harvey, Terry J., White, Neil M. and Holweger, Walter
(2022)
Electrical discharges in oil-lubricated rolling contacts and their detection using electrostatic sensing technique.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 22 (1), [392].
(doi:10.3390/s22010392).
Abstract
The reliability of rolling element bearings has been substantially undermined by the presence of parasitic and stray currents. Electrical discharges can occur between the raceway and the rolling elements and it has been previously shown that these discharges at relatively high current density levels can result in fluting and corrugation damages. Recent publications have shown that for a bearing operating at specific mechanical conditions (load, temperature, speed, and slip), electrical discharges at low current densities (<1 mA/mm2) may substantially reduce bearing life due to the formation of white etching cracks (WECs) in bearing components, often in junction with lubricants. To date, limited studies have been conducted to understand the electrical discharges at relatively low current densities (<1 mA/mm2), partially due to the lack of robust techniques for in-situ quantification of discharges. This study, using voltage measurement and electrostatic sensors, investigates discharges in an oil-lubricated steel-steel rolling contact on a TE74 twin-roller machine under a wide range of electrical and mechanical conditions. The results show that the discharges events between the rollers are influenced by temperature, load, and speed due to changes in the lubricant film thickness and contact area, and the sensors are effective in detecting, characterizing and quantifying the discharges. Hence, these sensors can be effectively used to study the influence of discharges on WEC formation.
Text
sensors-22-00392-v2
- Accepted Manuscript
Text
sensors-22-00392-v2
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 1 January 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 5 January 2022
Published date: 5 January 2022
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
Funding: The authors would like to acknowledge Alex Weddell for funding the APC, and Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, Germany, for technical support. This research was funded by Univer‐ sity of Southampton and Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG.
Funding Information:
The authors would like to acknowledge Alex Weddell for funding the APC, and Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, Germany, for technical support. This research was funded by University of Southampton and Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Keywords:
WEC formation, detection and diagnosis, electrical discharges, electrostatic sensor, quantification algorithm, voltage measurement technique, Electrical discharges, Detection and diagnosis, Electrostatic sensor, Voltage measurement technique, Quantification algorithm
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 454228
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/454228
ISSN: 1424-8220
PURE UUID: c6d64f3c-e95d-4954-8e2b-131fd2eb4a0a
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Date deposited: 03 Feb 2022 17:42
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 02:55
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Author:
Terry J. Harvey
Author:
Neil M. White
Author:
Walter Holweger
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