Grease-lubricated journal bearings present a common challenge for construction equipment manufacturers in the world. The common design methodology is based on empirical data and has worked very well historically because the market and governments have accepted that bearings in construction equipment need frequent lubrication and exchange of worn parts. Legal and market requirements will soon demand lower environmental impact and increased machine efficiency. These requirements call for better methods of designing grease lubricated journal bearings. The goal of the outlined work was to develop better design methods for grease lubricated journal-bearing design used in heavy-duty construction equipment machines, in order to prolong life and lubrication intervals. The research approach of the project can roughly be divided into three phases: 1. Development of test apparatus and test methods for journal bearing studies. 2. Bench tests of grease lubricated journal bearing design. 3. Verification between bench tests and computer simulations. In the thesis the current state of the art in bearing design for construction equipment is discussed and summarized in the form of design guidelines. The suggested design steps are just a mean to get to the starting point of design. The simple guidelines do however serve a purpose when collected since most published bearing design guidelines are aimed at the bushing material or at continuously rotating bearings. The influence of housing, environment and load cases can not be ignored when designing a bearing. Long term field-testing and experience can not be replaced until better design criteria have been established. Paper A deals with the design of the bearing test apparatus that was built and evaluated. Comparisons between theoretical contact and contact elements in Finite Element program have been made and discussed in paper B. In paper C a replica technique for measuring wear of large field specimens was evaluated. A case study of bearing housing design was performed in paper D utilizing Finite Element program and then validated in paper E in the bearing test apparatus. The influence of grease groove design on bushing life was tested and evaluated in paper F. Wear simulation of a plain bushing has been performed with a Finite Element program and presented in paper G. / QC 20100930

Machines operating in dusty environments, such as mining and civil works, are prone to premature failure, leading to production losses. To address this problem, this research project examines the interaction between solid contaminants and the bearing micro-geometry, in lubricated surface contacts. In particular, it seeks to identify anti-wear additives that are effective in reducing wear under abrasive conditions, making machine elements more dirt tolerant. In general, the influence of antiwear additive is so small that it is difficult to isolate it. Manufactures often make claims about their antiwear products, which are difficult to verify. Hence, there is a need to characterising the antiwear additives available with a well-defined parameter, making it easier for consumers to compare the efficacy of various additives, and be able to select the most suitable additive for a given environment. Effect of micro-geometry parameters such as radial clearance, out-of-roughness and surface roughness was examined and a Film Shape Factor (FSF) – also termed gamma ratio – has been proposed for ensuring adequate separation of journal bearings operating in hydrodynamic lubrication regime, where the out-of-roundness values are higher than the surface roughness values. In this research, an experimental study has been conducted on journal bearings, to examine the influence of five antiwear additives on the bearing wear and micro-geometry. The test additives were provided by the industry partner without revealing their chemical identity or composition; however, these included some of the most commonly used antiwear additives. The tests were performed under three conditions: pure base oil, base oil containing contaminants, and base oil containing contaminants treated with five different additives. The experiments were aimed at choosing one wear measuring technique that evaluates the performance of an individual additive reliably, and based on this technique the additives were characterised. To achieve these objectives, a multi-wear parameter approach (MWPA) was developed, which employed three main wear measurement methodologies, i.e. weight loss, micro-geometry and particle counts –to examine the effect of the antiwear additives. Minimum oil film thickness was also measured to study the lubrication status in the bearing contacts. The MWPA helped in comparing different wear measuring methods, and in selecting the most reliable one. This approach also helped in developing short duration wear tests, thereby saving time, while still getting reliable results without repeating these. Wear experiments were performed on seven sets of bronze bearings and steel sleeve shafts. The test contaminant was 16 micron Aluminium oxide Al2O3 powder mixed in oil with 4% concentration by weight. These solid contaminants were treated with five different antiwear additives to study their influence on the bearings. Bearings were operated such that the minimum oil film thickness in the bearing was equal to the size of the contaminants. These tests were run for a constant sliding distance of 7536m. The results showed that most of the wear measuring techniques do not suit heavily contaminated test conditions. However, the out-of-roundness technique proved to be the most reliable and practical. Based on this technique a methodology was developed which gave a wear characteristic number (N). A unique value of N can be derived for each additive, thereby ranking the additives for their efficacy. The finding of this research provides a better understanding of the methodologies used for measuring wear in journal bearings subjected to dusty environments, and examines the efficacy of each one of these. The wear characteristic number (N) can be used by manufacturers with support from international standards organisations, so that the users can confidently choose the most appropriate antiwear additive for their application. Machines operating in a dusty environment, such as mining industry and civil works are prone to premature failure with subsequent production losses. In response to this problem, this research project examines the interaction between solid contaminant particles and the lubricant film micro-geometry in lubricated surface contacts. In particular, it seeks to identify lubricant anti-wear additives, which are effective in reducing wear under abrasive conditions and thus making machine elements more dirt tolerant.

Lors de diverses opérations de maintenance, des dégradations au niveau des rotors et des organes de supportage du groupe turbo-alternateur ont pu être constatées. Celles-ci se traduisent souvent par la présence de rayures au niveau des paliers hydrodynamiques, synonymes de fortes discontinuités dans le film d'huile. C'est dans ce contexte que s'inscrivent ces travaux de thèse. L'objectif est d'avoir une meilleure compréhension et prédiction de leur impact sur le fonctionnement du palier. Pour cela, les paliers à géométrie fixe sont étudiés théoriquement et expérimentalement. L'étude théorique présente un modèle de résolution en régime thermoélastohydrodynamique (TEHD) permettant de prendre en compte les déformations introduites par les champs de pression et de température. Le développement d'un code capable de faire des calculs en régime hydrodynamique (HD) pour des paliers à géométrie fixe a été réalisé. L'étude expérimentale permet d'étudier le comportement d'un palier à deux lobes symétriques pour diverses positions et profondeurs de rayure placée sur l'arbre. Pour tous les cas, différentes configurations de charge et de vitesses sont testées, 25 au total. Les résultats obtenus pour les cas rayés permettent de mettre en avant l'importance de la profondeur de la rayure sur le comportement du palier. Pour les cas de fonctionnement réalisés, il apparaît que les champs de pression sont plus fortement impactés par la présence d'une rayure que les champs de température. Ces résultats sont comparés à ceux obtenus par le calcul avec l'utilisation d'un code interne à EDF qui permet la résolution de problèmes en régime TEHD. / During various maintenance operations in power plants, some new issues have come to light. One of these issues is the degradation of the supporting and guiding components for the rotating shafts. The degradation has resulted in scratches on bearings which leads to discontinuities of the oil film. The operator of the plant should provide a fast diagnosis of the influence of these scratches. The aim of the work is to examine these issues, to acquire a better understanding of physical phenomenon and to improve numerical predictions. Theoretical and experimental studies have been done for plain journal bearings. The numerical model is based on a thermoelastohydrodynamic (TEHD) resolution that allows to take into account solid deformations induced by the pressure and temperature fields. A computer code has been developed to solve the hydrodynamic (HD) problem. An experimental study has been performed on a two lobe journal bearing with a scratch on the rotating shaft at two scratch locations and for several scratch depth. For all of these configurations, local pressures and temperatures have been measured for different rotational speeds and applied loads. The scratch depth is one parameter that affects the most the journal bearing behavior. It influences more significantly the pressure field, with a drop of pressure near the scratch, than the temperature field. Those results have been compared to the numerical results obtained with an internal EDF software that can provide TEHD solutions.

While there has been substantial body of work in the field of journal bearing research, much of it is today theoretical or simulated due to today’s computing power. Scania produces experimental data from motor testing, but these are expensive and time consuming. Furthermore there is a difficulty in keeping a sufficiently controlled environment, which at times makes it hard to draw conclusions from testing results. They therefore wish to develop a test-rig which can evaluate friction and wear in journal bearings. This thesis is a continuation of a project in the course Advanced Machine Design given at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. During this thesis the test-rig has been manufactured, built, and evaluated. Furthermore software for the test-rig was developed. Information on journal bearings, risk assessment and signal noise handling were sought. Mechanical development was done with Autodesk Inventor, while Matlab was used for software development. Factorial design was utilised when designing tests and compared to a simple theoretical model. Test results showed promising results for Stribeck curve-producing tests, with good resemblance to known frictional values and trends. Furthermore the test-rig showed good repeatability for replicated tests and produced wear on the bearing shells used. During a prolonged test, the shaft and support-bearings were damaged and requires servicing to be in an operational state. The test-rig requires to be further verified, but the tests that were carried out showed valuable and reliable information on wear and frictional values. Keywords: journal bearing, hydrodynamic lubrication, wear, start-stop, test-rig / Även om en betydande mängd forskning inom glidlager och fullfilmslager har genomförts så är med dagens datorkapacitet en stor del av resultaten numera teoretiska eller simulerade. Medan Scania producerar experimentella resultat, så är dessa dyra och tidskrävande. Vidare är det ibland svårt att hålla en tillräckligt kontrollerad miljö för att dra slutsatser från proverna. Med en dedikerad testrigg som kan tillförlitliga resultat tas fram billigare och snabbare. Detta examensarbete är en fortsättning av kursen Avancerad Maskinkonstruktion som ges vid Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan. Under detta examensarbete har testriggen tillverkats, byggts och utvärderats. Vidare har programvara för testriggen utvecklats. Informationssökning gjordes på glidlager, fullfilmslager, riskbedömning och signalbrushantering. Mekanisk utveckling har gjorts i Autodesk Inventor, medan Matlab användes för mjukvaruutveckling. Faktorial design har nyttjats vid utformningen av tester. Resultaten jämfördes med en enkel teoretisk modell. Testresultaten visade lovade resultat för Stribeck kurva-producerande tester, med god likhet till kända friktionsvärden och trender. Testriggen visade god reproducerbarhet vid replikerade tester. Testriggen producerar slitage på samtliga testade lagerytor. Under ett längre test så har axel och stödlager skadats, varför service behövs för att testriggen skall vara i brukbart skick. Testriggen kräver ytterligare verifiering, men resultaten från de prov som genomförts visar att test-riggen ger värdefull och tillförlitlig information om slitage och friktion kunna utrönas. Nyckelord: glidlager, hydrodynamisk smörjfilm, nötning, start-stop, testrigg

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De nombreux projets visant à réduire l’impact environnemental global des avions sont lancés au niveau européen. L’un des moteurs étudié pour les avions moyens et longs courriers est le moteur Ultra High Bypass Ratio (UHBR) : un moteur simple corps, double flux, à flux externe fortement augmenté. Le moteur UHBR doit être équipé d’un réducteur épicycloïdal, qui est un composant jamais utilisé dans un turboréacteur jusqu’à présent. L’optimisation d’un réducteur épicycloïdal a conduit à l’utilisation de paliers hydrodynamiques pour supporter les pignons satellites du porte-satellites.Pour une telle application, le palier hydrodynamique subit une déformation très élevée due aux charges de l’engrènement sur le pignon satellite et à l’effet centrifuge engendré par la rotation du porte-satellites. La géométrie optimisée des composants du palier varie avec le comportement thermique et mécanique des pièces, nécessitant la prise en compte d’une modélisation thermoélastohydrodynamique (TEHD).Afin de modéliser précisément ces phénomènes, un modèle conservatif dans la zone inactive en régime TEHD a été développé et validé à l’aide des résultats d’essais de la littérature et des bancs d’essais de Safran Transmission Systems. Les résultats obtenus montrent un double champ de pression dans le palier hydrodynamique du réducteur épicycloïdal, engendré par la forte déformation élastique du pignon agissant ainsi de façon significative sur le comportement dynamique du palier. De plus, l’influence de l’effet centrifuge sur l’huile dans le palier a été également examinée. / Several projects aimed at reducing the overall environmental impact of aircrafts are launched at European level. One of the engines studied for medium and long-haul aircraft is the Ultra High Bypass Ratio (UHBR) engine: a single-body, dual-flow gas turbine, with a greatly increased external flow rate. The UHBR engine must be equipped with an epicyclic reduction gearbox, which is a component never used before in a turbofan engine. The optimization of an epicyclic gearbox has resulted to the use of hydrodynamic bearings for supporting the satellite gears on the planet carrier.The hydrodynamic bearing of such application undergoes high deformations due to the gear contact loads on the satellite gear and to the centrifugal effect generated by the rotation of the planet carrier. The optimized geometry of the bearing components is influenced by the thermal and mechanical behavior of the bearing components, which requires a thermoelastohydrodynamic (TEHD) modeling taking into account the real film thickness under operation.In order to precisely simulate these phenomena, a conservative modeling in the inactive zone, under a TEHD regime has been developed and validated by comparing the predictions to the test results of the literature and of the test benches of Safran Transmission Systems. The results obtained show a double pressure field in the hydrodynamic bearing of the epicyclic reduction gearbox, due to the strongly deformed film thickness, which greatly affect the dynamic behavior of the bearing. In addition, the influence of the centrifugal force on the oil pressure in the oil film was also examined.

Målet med detta arbete är att undersöka smörjsystemet på två utsatta leder på en Boomer E2C. Förfrågan om examensarbetet kommer från Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB i Örebro som också tillverkar maskinen. Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB har idag ett fettsmörjningssystem som upprätthåller funktionerna på lederna. Uppgiften är att sammanfatta och utvärdera dagens system samt att finna nya lösningsförslag som skulle kunna ersätta eller delvis ersätta systemet. Information har hämtats från dokumentation, ritningar och samtal med konstruktörer på företaget. Efter att alla förutsättningarna för lederna specificerats så har lösningsförslag sökts. Genom att träffa lagerleverantörer och söka artiklar så har idéer formats. Brainstorming har använts för att kunna se nya lösningar. Undersökningen har visat att det finns problem med dagens lösning vad gäller slanghaverier och driftstopp i fält. Atlas Copco AB uttrycker även att kunskapen och dokumentationen angående systemet är otillräckligt. Efter artikelsökning så kan konstateras att forskningen och kunskapen på området med tungt belastade, oscillerande och fettsmörjda leder är liten. Dimensionering sker ofta med hjälp av erfarenhet och med tankesättet ”det har fungerat förut”. När lösningsförslagen har jämförts så har detta gjorts genom att använda metoden AHP (Analytic Hierachy Process). Med denna metod så jämför man kriterierna från kravspecifikationen med lösningsförslag så att man matematiskt kan räkna fram ett vinnande lösningsförslag. Resultatet visar att en smörjfri lösning skulle teoretiskt vara att föredra. Denna skulle tillverkas av en modern polymer och kompletteras med en inre tätning och ett yttre skydd. Atlas Copco rekommenderas att testa de olika förslagen för att komma fram till vilken som är bäst lämpad för applikationen. / The goal of this work is to investigate the lubrication system on two exposed joints on a Boomer E2C. The request for the thesis comes from Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB, Örebro, which also manufactures the machine. Today Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB has a grease lubrication system that secures the function of the joints. The task is to summarize and evaluate the current systems and to find new solutions that would be able to replace or partially replace the current system. Information was gathered from documents, construction drawings and conversations with engineers at the company. Solutions and ideas have been formed by meeting stock suppliers and searching for articles. Brainstorming has been used in order to find new solutions. The investigation has shown that there are problems with the current solution in terms of hose failures and downtime in the field. Atlas Copco AB also expresses that there is a lack of documentation and knowledge regarding the lubrication system. After the various article searches it became clear that research and knowledge in the area with heavy duty, oscillating and grease lubricated joints is insufficient. The design is often done with the help of experience and with the mindset "it has worked before." When the solutions and ideas have been compared, this has been done by using AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process). This method compares the criteria that must be fulfilled by the solutions and then calculates the best one. The results show that a lubrication-free solution would theoretically be preferable. This would be produced by a modern polymer and supplemented with an inner seal and an outer protection. Atlas Copco is recommended to test the various proposals to be able to decide which the best solution for the application is.

Static characteristics and rotordynamic coefficients were experimentally determined for a four-pad tilting-pad journal bearing with ball-in-socket pivots in loadbetween- pad configuration. A frequency-independent [M]-[C]-[K] model fit the measurements reasonably well, except for the cross-coupled damping coefficients. Test conditions included speeds from 4,000 to 12,000 rpm and unit loads from 0 to 1896 kPa (0 to 275 psi). The test bearing was manufactured by Rotating Machinery Technology (RMT), Inc. Though it has a nominal diameter of 101.78 mm (4.0070 in.), measurements indicated significant bearing crush with radial bearing clearances of 99.6 μm (3.92 mils) and 54.6 μm (2.15 mils) in the axes 45º counterclockwise and 45º clockwise from the loaded axis, respectively. The pad length is 101.6 mm (4.00 in.), giving L/D = 1.00. The pad arc angle is 73º, and the pivot offset ratio is 65%. The preloads of the loaded and unloaded pads are 0.37 and 0.58, respectively. A bulk-flow Navier-Stokes model was used for predictions, using adiabatic conditions for the bearing fluid. Because the model assumes constant nominal clearances at all pads, the average of the measured clearances was used as an estimate. Eccentricities and attitude angles were markedly under predicted while power loss was under predicted at low speeds and very well predicted at high speeds. The maximum detected pad temperature was 71ºC (160ºF) and the rise from inlet to maximum bearing temperature was over predicted by 10-40%. Multiple-frequency force inputs were used to excite the bearing. Direct stiffness and damping coefficients were significantly over predicted, but addition of a simple stiffness-in-series model substantially improved the agreement between theory and experiment. Direct added masses were zero or negative at low speeds and increased with speed up to a maximum of about 50 kg; they were normally greater in the unloaded direction. Although significant cross-coupled stiffness terms were present, they always had the same sign. The bearing had zero whirl frequency ratio netting unconditional stability over all test conditions. Static stiffness in the y direction (obtained from steadystate loading) matched the rotordynamic stiffness Kyy (obtained from multiple-frequency excitation) reasonably at low loads but poorly at the maximum test load.

Η παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή αναφέρεται σε έδρανα ολίσθησης. Συγκεκριμένα, αναφέρεται στο σχεδιασμό και την κατασκευή ενός νέου, πρωτότυπου υβριδικού εδράνου ολίσθησης, το οποίο έχει τη δυνατότητα να λειτουργεί είτε ως υδροδυναμικό, είτε ως ενεργό ηλεκτρομαγνητικό, είτε ως υβριδικό, δηλαδή υδροδυναμικό και ενεργό ηλεκτρομαγνητικό ταυτόχρονα. Προκειμένου να πραγματοποιηθεί ο σχεδιασμός και η κατασκευή του συγκεκριμένου υβριδικού εδράνου ολίσθησης, έγιναν υπολογισμοί και προσομοίωση του υδροδυναμικού πεδίου για τα υδροδυναμικά έδρανα ολίσθησης και του ηλεκτρομαγνητικού πεδίου για τα ηλεκτρομαγνητικά έδρανα στο πρόγραμμα ANSYS. Η προσομοίωση των υβριδικών εδράνων ολίσθησης έγινε με επαναληπτική διαδικασία μεταξύ του υδροδυναμικού και του ηλεκτρομαγνητικού πεδίου προκειμένου να υπολογίζεται το κάθε επιθυμητό μέγεθος. Για το σχεδιασμό του υβριδικού εδράνου ολίσθησης χρησιμοποιήθηκε το σχεδιαστικό πρόγραμμα CATIA. Για την προσομοίωση του ελέγχου του υβριδικού εδράνου ολίσθησης, χρησιμοποιήθηκε το πρόγραμμα Matlab, το οποίο ενεργοποιεί το πρόγραμμα Ansys για τον υπολογισμό των χαρακτηριστικών του υδροδυναμικού και του ηλεκτρομαγνητικού πεδίου του εδράνου και το Simulink module του Matlab για τον υπολογισμό των χαρακτηριστικών του ελέγχου, ώστε να γίνονται όλοι οι απαραίτητοι υπολογισμοί αυτοματοποιημένα. Τέλος, έγιναν υπολογισμοί και προσομοίωση δυναμικής περιστρεφόμενων αξόνων, με στήριξη του ρότορα σε δύο έδρανα και δίσκο προσαρμοσμένο στον ρότορα, στο πρόγραμμα Matlab, με σύνδεση με το Ansys για τον υπολογισμό των συντελεστών ελαστικότητας και απόσβεσης και το Simulink module του Matlab για τον υπολογισμό των χαρακτηριστικών του ελέγχου, με σκοπό την ολοκληρωμένη ανάλυση του συστήματος. Συμπερασματικά, μέσω της συγκεκριμένης διδακτορικής διατριβής αποδεικνύεται πως ο σχεδιασμός, η λειτουργία και η κατασκευή του συγκεκριμένου πρωτότυπου υβριδικού εδράνου ολίσθησης είναι εφικτά, και από τα αποτελέσματα προκύπτει πως η λειτουργία ενός τέτοιου υβριδικού εδράνου ολίσθησης, έχει πολλά πλεονεκτήματα σε σχέση με άλλα έδρανα στήριξης περιστρεφόμενων αξόνων, είτε αυτά είναι απλά είτε υβριδικά και μπορεί να εφαρμοστεί είτε σε εργαστηριακό επίπεδο είτε σε βιομηχανικές εφαρμογές. / The present doctoral thesis refers to hydrodynamic journal bearings. Specifically, it refers to the design and construction of a new, innovative hybrid journal bearing, which has the ability to function either as hydrodynamic or active magnetic or hybrid, i.e. both hydrodynamic and active magnetic, at the same time. In order to be performed the design and construction of the specific hybrid journal bearing, calculations and simulation of the hydrodynamic field for the hydrodynamic journal bearings in the program ANSYS, have been made. The simulation of the hybrid journal bearings has been made with iterative process, between the hydrodynamic and active magnetic field, so that every desired magnitude can be calculated. For the design of the hybrid journal bearing, the designing program CATIA has been used. For the simulation of the control of the hybrid journal bearing, the program Maltab has been used, which activates the program Ansys, for the calculation of the features of the hydrodynamic and active magnetic field of the bearing and the Simulink module of Maltab, for the calculation of the features of control, so that all necessary calculations can be made automated. Finally, calculations and simulation of rotor dynamics, with support of the rotor in two bearings and disc adjusted to the rotor, in Maltab, in connection to Ansys, for the calculation of the elastic and damping coefficients and the Simulink module of Maltab, for the calculation of the features of control, have been made, having as a purpose the complete analysis of the system. In conclusion, through the specific doctoral thesis, it is proved that the design, function and construction of the specific, new hybrid journal bearing, can be achieved and the results show that the function of such a hybrid journal bearing, has many advantages compared to other bearings of support of rotors, either they are simple or hybrid and it can be applied either to laboratory level or industrial applications.

Grease-lubricated journal bearings are widely used in heavy duty applications, such as construction equipment, agriculture- and forest machines. The main purpose of the grease-lubricated journal bearing is solely to create sustainable rotation of a given application. However, purpose seldom decides complexity of journal bearing design. Depending on application, parameters such as Load , Material  and Lubrication immensely increase complexity of the design. Tribology is a highly interdisciplinary subject, which requires knowledge concerning physics, chemistry, metallurgy and solid mechanics. Tribological aspects of a design are frequently regarded as irrelevant. Tribological issues are commonly enlightened in combination with structural design weaknesses. The main aim of the thesis was to analyze two cylinder joints found in a Komatsu Forest 951 crane and establish root cause to the structural and tribological issues. Outline of the approach was divided into three main targets: 1. Investigate mechanical and tribological aspects of the crane design. 2. Understand how these aspects influence the life time of the bearings. 3. Summarize the analysis and suggest improvements based on the discovery. Fundamental structural and tribological design guidelines regarding grease-lubricated journal bearings have been presented in this thesis. Damaged components such as cylinders, pins and journal bearings have been examined at Komatsu Forest’s factory in Umeå. Further, a scanning electron microscopy study has been done at Luleå University of Technology, to determine predominant wear mechanisms in the harvester crane joints. A non-linear finite element model of the crane has been designed to represent pressure distribution in the contact between bearing and pin. The finite element analysis gives a good approximation of the contact but leaves room for further refinements. Temperatures, in the contacts, have not been identified and will be measured outside the time frame of the master’s thesis. Design changes, with respect to discovered structural and tribological issues have been suggested. The suggested improvements can potentially increase the life time of lift cylinders, pins and journal bearings.