Impact of low inner ring waviness orders on hybrid ball bearing under high speeds

Abstract

Deep groove ball bearings (DGBB) are widely used in rotating equipment in many fields among which we have electric vehicle Powerpack, so very demanding in terms of noise and vibration. Geometrical design, clearance, component material, and lubricant properties influence vibratory behavior and bearing life cycle. In rotating machines, bearings are acting as friction reducers to allow a smooth rotation but are also exciters inducing vibrations due to the rotation of ball set, even in the case of a theoretical perfect bearing. Bearing performance depends highly on contact surface quality (ring races and balls surface). In a ball bearing, contact surface quality results from several manufacturing processes (heat treatment, turning, grinding, honing and assembly) and directly affects the noise and vibration levels generated by the bearing in the application. Also, component materials and hardness will affect the contact forces between balls and rings path on rotating bearings. Hybrid bearings are known for their performance when operating under high rotation speeds. In this article, inner and outer ring low waviness orders are studied on Hybrid Deep Groove Ball Bearings (DGBB). Both numerical model and, experimental tests were carried out to study the effect of rings waviness on hybrid bearing under high rotation speed.