A study on the three key concepts of White Etching Crack failure mode in its very early stages - contrast with different testing methods
A study on the three key concepts of White Etching Crack failure mode in its very early stages - contrast with different testing methods
Despite the great attention that WECs have received from researchers over the last few years, the earliest stages of this failure are still under debate. The wide variety of drivers studied, and the different methodologies employed to reproduce this failure mode, raise the question; do different methodologies lead to different initiation mechanisms? The present work aims to understand the most premature stages of WEC formation in 100Cr6 steel discs tested under RCF conditions and pre-charged with hydrogen. Firstly, three key aspects in the WEC formation process were identified, which have been extensively studied by other authors, but at intermediate or late stages of formation. These aspects are, (1) microstructural alteration formation first steps, (2) newly formed grain growth and (3) carbide dissolution. Secondly, samples representative of early stages were analysed by SEM/EDX/EBSD. The results of this research suggest that the early stages of these aspects are in agreement with the intermediate and late stages presented by other authors in the case of both WEC critical oil lubricated bearings and failed field bearings. Therefore, tribometer tests preceded by hydrogen uptake seem to recreate the tribological conditions found in wind turbine bearings. In addition, a very detailed failure initiation mechanism is proposed in this work.
Electron microscopy, Microstructural alteration, Recrystallization, Rolling bearing steel, Rolling contact fatigue, White etching crack
López-Uruñuela, Fernando José
e89fa088-6a34-418c-addc-097485f77d2d
Wang, Ling
c50767b1-7474-4094-9b06-4fe64e9fe362
Fernández, Beatriz
d07d72f2-1450-4fe7-b488-82c7192cb864
Aguirrebeitia, Josu
fac495bf-262f-436e-abb1-45dbf5356d7d
Pinedo, Bihotz
064babc1-3c9c-4888-9e64-433ce1cae3b1
17 July 2023
López-Uruñuela, Fernando José
e89fa088-6a34-418c-addc-097485f77d2d
Wang, Ling
c50767b1-7474-4094-9b06-4fe64e9fe362
Fernández, Beatriz
d07d72f2-1450-4fe7-b488-82c7192cb864
Aguirrebeitia, Josu
fac495bf-262f-436e-abb1-45dbf5356d7d
Pinedo, Bihotz
064babc1-3c9c-4888-9e64-433ce1cae3b1
López-Uruñuela, Fernando José, Wang, Ling, Fernández, Beatriz, Aguirrebeitia, Josu and Pinedo, Bihotz
(2023)
A study on the three key concepts of White Etching Crack failure mode in its very early stages - contrast with different testing methods.
Wear, 530-531, [205044].
(doi:10.1016/j.wear.2023.205044).
Abstract
Despite the great attention that WECs have received from researchers over the last few years, the earliest stages of this failure are still under debate. The wide variety of drivers studied, and the different methodologies employed to reproduce this failure mode, raise the question; do different methodologies lead to different initiation mechanisms? The present work aims to understand the most premature stages of WEC formation in 100Cr6 steel discs tested under RCF conditions and pre-charged with hydrogen. Firstly, three key aspects in the WEC formation process were identified, which have been extensively studied by other authors, but at intermediate or late stages of formation. These aspects are, (1) microstructural alteration formation first steps, (2) newly formed grain growth and (3) carbide dissolution. Secondly, samples representative of early stages were analysed by SEM/EDX/EBSD. The results of this research suggest that the early stages of these aspects are in agreement with the intermediate and late stages presented by other authors in the case of both WEC critical oil lubricated bearings and failed field bearings. Therefore, tribometer tests preceded by hydrogen uptake seem to recreate the tribological conditions found in wind turbine bearings. In addition, a very detailed failure initiation mechanism is proposed in this work.
Text
WEA-S-23-00426 (2)[1] (accepted manuscript)
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2023 Lopez-Urunuela_A study on the three key concepts of White Etching Crack failure mode in its very early stages - Contrast wi
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 3 July 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 13 July 2023
Published date: 17 July 2023
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
The authors also would like to thank “ Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa ” for funding project 59/18 (“Health assessment” and prediction of behaviour in use of mechanical components in extreme conditions).
Keywords:
Electron microscopy, Microstructural alteration, Recrystallization, Rolling bearing steel, Rolling contact fatigue, White etching crack
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 482850
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/482850
ISSN: 0043-1648
PURE UUID: 8941ed83-c58a-42d7-b2f4-d61b517e8129
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Date deposited: 13 Oct 2023 16:48
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 02:55
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Contributors
Author:
Fernando José López-Uruñuela
Author:
Beatriz Fernández
Author:
Josu Aguirrebeitia
Author:
Bihotz Pinedo
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