Work

Coupled Model of Point-Contact Thermo-Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication and Dynamics with Double-Impact Mechanism for High-Precision Quantitative Diagnosis of Rolling Bearings

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Accurate quantitative diagnosis of spall sizes in rolling bearings is often hindered by the limitations of conventional dynamic models in characterizing temperature-dependent contact behavior. To address this issue, this paper presents a quantitative diagnosis method that incorporates point-contact thermo-elastohydrodynamic lubrication (TEHL) characteristics into a classical bearing dynamic framework. Specifically, rather than using prescribed or constant contact parameters, an improved equivalent stiffness–damping representation of the bearing contact interface is formulated based on TEHL-derived oil-film pressure, thickness, and temperature, while taking into account the inner–outer raceway thermal asymmetry. This localized lubricated contact representation is subsequently integrated into a classical five-degree-of-freedom (5-DOF) dynamic model to evaluate the double-impact response caused by outer-ring spalls. Comparative simulations using conventional 5-DOF, 4-DOF, and 2-DOF models, alongside experiments on a 6205-2-RS bearing with a 0.6 mm outer-ring defect, validate the proposed method. The results demonstrate that utilizing the TEHL-derived stiffness–damping representation significantly reduces spall-size estimation errors, improving both the accuracy and the physical interpretability of bearing fault quantification under thermally coupled conditions.

Source: Lubricants

DOI: 10.3390/lubricants14070261