• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.111-117
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• 2024

Due to global CO₂ emission reductions and fuel efficiency regulations, the trend toward transitioning from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) has accelerated. Consequently, the problem of EV failures has become a focal point of active research. The parasitic capacitance generated during motor-shaft rotation induces voltage that deteriorates the raceway and ball surfaces of bearings, causing electrical damage in EVs. Despite numerous attempts to address this issue, most studies have been conducted under high viscosity lubricant and low load conditions. However, due to factors such as high-speed operation, rapid acceleration and deceleration, motor heating, and motor system-decelerator integration, current EV applications have shown diminished stability in lubrication films of motor bearings, thereby leveraging the investigation to address the risk of electrical damage. This study investigates the electrical damage to rolling bearing elements in EV motor drive systems. The experimental analysis focuses on the effects of electric currents and operational loads on bearing integrity. A test rig is designed to generate high-rate voltage specific to a motor system's parasitic capacitance, and bearing samples are exposed to these currents for specified durations. Component evaluation involves visual inspections and vibration measurements. In addition, a predictive model for electrical failure is developed based on accumulated data, which demonstrates the ability to predict the likelihood of electrical failure relative to the duration and intensity of current exposure. This in turn reduces uncertainties in practical applications regarding electrical erosion modes.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.101-105
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• 2016

Trap effect of groove is evaluated in a lubricating system using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. The simulation is based on the standard k-ε turbulence model and the discrete phase model (DPM) using a commercial CFD code FLUENT. The simulation results are also capable of showing the particle trajectories in flow field. Computational domain is meshed using the GAMBIT pre-processor. The various grooves are applied in order to improve lubrication characteristics such as reduction of friction loss, increase in load carrying capacity, and trapping of the wear particles. Trap effect of groove is investigated with variations in cross-sectional shape and Reynolds number in this research. Various cross-sectional shapes of groove (rectangular, triangle, U shaped, trapezoid, elliptical shapes) are considered to evaluate the trap effect in simplified two-dimensional sliding bearing. The particles are assumed to steel, and defined a single particle injection condition in various positions. The “reflect” boundary condition for discrete phase is applied to the wall boundary, and the “escape” boundary condition to “pressure inlet” and “pressure outlet” conditions. The streamlines are compared with particles trajectories in the groove. From the results of numerical analysis in the study, it is found that the cross-sectional shapes favorable to the creation of vortex and small eddy current are effective in terms of particle trapping effect. Moreover, it is found that the Reynolds number has a strong influence on the pattern of vortex or small eddy current in the groove, and that the pattern of the vortex or small eddy current affects the trap effect of the groove.