ADAPTIVE PROGNOSTIC HIGH SPEED ROLLING ELEMENTS

Abstract

“Rolling element bearings are extensively used in most of the rotating machines to support static/dynamic loads. Their performance is very important in power stations, chemical plants, automotive industries, aerospace turbo machinery and process industries that require precise and efficient performance. These bearings can take up both radial and axial loads for most of the applications. They have a great influence on the dynamic behaviour of the rotating machines and act as a source of vibration and noise in these systems. There is a critical need to increase reliability and performance of rolling element bearings to prevent catastrophic failure of the machinery.” “Remaining useful life (RUL) is the useful life left on an asset at a particular time of operation. Its estimation is central to condition based maintenance and prognostics and health management. RUL typically random and unknown, and as such it must be estimated from available sources of information such as the information obtained in condition and health monitoring. Generally, the data collected for RUL estimation can be categorized into two main types: event data and CM data.” The present work, identify the effects of load, speed and the defects like spall on AE amplitude by using Response Surface Methodology. The combined effects on the roller bearings due to these defects are also focused which are not studied in many of the works. This work also attempts to analyse AE responses of the rotor-bearing unit supported by one cylindrical roller bearing and two conical roller bearings. Experiments has been performed on a rotor bearing system to obtain the AE amplitude response due to load, speed and other defects on outer race like spall. ANOVA is used to check the validation of model and to generate a polynomial, which shows the variation of maximum AE amplitude in ball bearing with the three parameters: Load, Speed and Defect Size. AE responses obtained show that amplitude is very sensitive to varying rotating speed when there is defect on outer race. Also interaction of defect on outer race defect and load produces severe amplitude. Load on roller has less effect on AE amplitude.