A Finite Element Investigation of a Bearing/Cartridge Interface for a Fretting Corrosion Study

The bearing/cartridge interfaces of a Ship Service Motor Generator Set (SSMG) were modeled by using finite element technology. The purpose of this analytical study was to verify the results of earlier experimental tests made on an actual SSMG unit. This research is part of a larger research project to examine the important parameters influencing the fretting of rolling element bearings. Models for the bearings at both ends of the unit were developed, and loads simulating the ball pass loads were applied to these models; the contact pressures, radial deformations, and relative displacements at the interface were calculated. The resulting data showed the interface conditions to be extremely complex with the contact pressures varying from zero to a maximum of 55.4 MPa (8030 psi) as the balls passed by. The maximum relative displacements occurred in the tangential direction (2.44 μm) and were independent of the axial boundary conditions.