NTN TECHNICAL REVIEW No.

772009

[ New Product ]

Plastic Bearings for Electric Pumps for Next Generation Battery Cells

Norio ITOH* Takuya ISHII*

In order to reduce CO2 emissions, devices with next generation battery cells are being introduced or are already on the market. Fuel cell co-generation systems, electric evehicles and hybrid vehicles have electric pumps to circulate cooling water in the cooling systems for the cells and motors. BEAREE AS5704 bearings, which have excellent self-lubricity, chemical resistance and high flexibility in design, are used in these electric pumps. This article introduces the characteristics and applications of BEAREE AS5704 bearings.

1. Preface
To help reduce CO2 emissions, unconventional apparatuses that do not burn fossil fuels have been increasingly marketed recently, and the need for apparatuses incorporating next generation battery cells has been mounting. The most common applications introducing these novel apparatuses include fuel-cell cogeneration systems in the industrial and home electric appliances fields and electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles in the automotive engineering field. Each of the cooling systems that mitigate heat buildup in these apparatuses has a built-in electromechanical pump that circulates cooling water. This article provides information about resin sliding bearings suitable for electromechanical pumps and the typical applications of such bearings are included.

into a fuel-cell stack that generates electricity by electrochemical reaction. Electrochemical reaction taking place in a fuel-cell stack is an exothermic reaction; therefore, the cooling system (which circulates cooling water) that regulates the temperature inside the cell stack to a constant level is driven by an electromechanical pump. The typical requirements for this electromechanical pump are high efficiency and compact size. In order to satisfy these requirements, the electromechanical pump adopted is often a magnet drive-type centrifugal pump.

2.2 Cooling systems on electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV)
On conventional automobiles driven by internal combustion engines (ICE), a centrifugal pump is used to circulate radiator coolant to cool down the ICE, wherein rotary motion on the engine is input to the pump shaft via a drive belt. Incidentally, any EV does not have an ICE, and an ICE on HEV is shut down in idling stop mode: therefore, an electromechanical pump is needed to actuate a cooling system for battery cells and/or electric motor. The electromechanical pump used for this purpose is often a magnet drive-type centrifugal pump.

2. Electromechanical pumps for various systems

2.1 Fuel-cell cogeneration system1)
By the electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, a fuel-cell generates electricity. The oxygen it uses is derived from air, while the hydrogen it uses is obtained by reforming the air with a reformer: the so-obtained oxygen and hydrogen are introduced

*Engineering Dept. NTN Engineering Plastics Corporation

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NTN TECHNICAL REVIEW No.772009

3. Construction of electromechanical pump

Generally, pumps transport fluids such as water, liquid fuels, lubricating oils, organic solvents, and acidic and alkali liquids. Three major pump operation types are available: centrifugal, volumetric rotary and volumetric reciprocating types, wherein their rotary shafts are supported by bearings. When the fluid transported by a pump is water, or acidic or alkali liquid, an ordinary metal bearing can develop a corrosion problem: to address this issue, carbon sliding bearings and resin sliding bearings may be used 2). Resin sliding bearings boast better self-lubricating performance and chemical resistance. In particular, injection-molded components of sliding bearing boast greater freedom of design for factors including shape.

lubricating slots on the bore surface and end face of the bearing and a retaining feature (D-shaped cutout, projection, etc.) on the outer circumference of the bearing to help securely engage the bearing with the impeller (see Fig. 2). Without undergoing any machining process, a resinmade sliding bearing can be formed together with an integrated impeller. When a resin sliding bearing runs, a radial load and an axial load act on it, thereby causing sliding contact between the bearing bore and stationary shaft and between the bearing end face and thrust force carrying face . The material used for this resin sliding bearing is NTN BEAREE AS5704.
Retaining feature (D-shaped cutout)

3.1 Magnet drive-type centrifugal pump

Fig. 1 shows a structure of a typical magnet drivetype centrifugal pump. With this structure, the magnets installed onto the motor shaft rotate to cause their magnetic force to rotate the impeller integrated with the magnets in the casing, thereby causing the pump to transport the fluid.
Fluid OUT Casing

Lubricating slot (4 pos.)

Fig. 2 Bearing

4. BEAREE AS5704 resin bearing

Magnet Casing Thrust bearing

4.1 Features
The BEAREE AS5704 resin sliding bearing consists of PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) blended with a special filler.

Bearing

Motor shaft

Fluid IN Stationary shaft Impeller

Electric motor

<Advantages>
(1) Compared with a general-purpose PPS resin sliding bearing, wear of our bearing in water is 20% or lower. (2) Low wear or abrasion on a mating material such as stainless steel (3) BEAREE AS5704 bearing boasts greater freedom of design in shape due to injection molding. (4) Can be used even in anti-freeze liquid, or acidic or alkaline liquid

Magnet

Fig. 1 Structure of magnet drive centrifugal pump

3.2 Resin sliding bearing

Conventional magnet drive type centrifugal pumps often use carbon sliding bearings. A carbon sliding bearing can be molded together with an impeller; however, because this bearing component is obtained only by machining a molded blank, the form factor flexibility of this work piece is limited. Therefore, this bearing type requires improvement in its resistance to impact-induced cracking and reduction of costs. Through an injection molding process, geometrical features can be readily formed on a resin-made sliding bearing, and the examples of such features include -52-

4.2 Basic physical characteristics

Table 1 summarizes the basic physical characteristics of BEAREE AS5704 material.

Plastic Bearings for Electric Pumps for Next Generation Battery Cells

Table 1 Basic characteristics of BEAREE AS5704

Characteristics Specific gravity Tensile strength Elongation Bending strength Bending elastic modulus Linear expansion coefficient Rockwell hardness Izod impact strength Test method ASTM D792 ASTM D638 ASTM D790 TMA method ASTM D785 Unit of Characteristic measurement value MPa % MPa GPa 1/C R scale 1.64 54 0.7 103 10 MD : 2.010-5 CD : 4.510-5 112

Table 3 provides a comparison of performance of sliding bearings made of these materials. Using PPS resin as a base material, the BEAREE AS5704 bearing excels in chemical resistance and dimensional stability after having absorbed water.

Table 3 Comparison of features various bearings

Bearing type Process used BEAREE Carbon Phenol resin PTFE resin (including graphite) (including graphite) AS5704 Injection Injection compremolding Machining ssion molding Machining

ASTM D256 J/m (Notch type) The values given above are representative values.

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4.3 Comparison of various bearings (resin materials)

Examples of materials of typical resin sliding bearings used in liquid include phenol resins and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) resins. To compare wear resistance characteristics of these materials with those of BEAREE AS5704 and carbon material, we have performed an underwater wear test. Table 2 summarizes the test conditions applied, and Fig. 3 shows specific wear NOTE) of various bearing materials. BEAREE AS5704 boasts superior wear resistance and has lower friction compared with the carbon material.
NOTE) Specific wear means a wear volume per unit sliding distance or per unit load calculated from wear before and after the test. Smaller specific wear means smaller wear.

Wear resistance (underwater) Chemical resistance Dimensional stability of material having absorbed water Resistance to cracking due to impact Resistance to deformation due to impact Degree of Freedom of design Price

ExcellentGoodAcceptableNot acceptable

4.4 Comparison to PPS resin bearing

Under the test conditions summarized in Table 2, comparison test for friction wear characteristics has been performed for BEAREE AS5704 and three PPSresin based bearing materials (PPS + fiber glass, PPS + carbon fiber, and PPS + PTFE). Fig. 4 shows the time-dependent variation in dynamic friction coefficients of these materials, and Fig. 5 provides the specific wear of these materials. BEAREE AS5704 boasts the lowest dynamic friction coefficient, and the value of this coefficient remains stable. Furthermore, the specific wear of BEAREE AS5704 is less than 20% of the PPS resin blended with carbon fiber coefficient. The wear depth on the mating material (SUS 304) that underwent the test has been measured. As a result, the wear depth on the mating material tested with the PPS resin blended with carbon fiber was approximately 5 m. In contrast, the mating material tested with BEAREE AS5704 did not develop any wear (Figs. 6 and 7).

Table 2 Wear test condition

Characteristics Test equipment Bearing pressure Sliding velocity Mating material Environment Test time Specific wear 10-8mm3/ Nm
500 400 300 200 100 0

Content Underwater ring on disk type 0.4 MPa 25 m/minHv2000.4mRa SUS304 Water (normal temperature, no temperature control) 50h

BEAREE AS5704

Carbon

Phenol resin
(including graphite)

PTFE resin
(including graphite)

Fig. 3 Specific wear of various bearings

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NTN TECHNICAL REVIEW No.772009

4.5 Limiting PV value of BEAREE AS5704

BEAREE AS5704 PPS resin + fiber glass PPS resin + carbon fiber PPS resin + PTFE resin

Dynamic friction coefficient

0.8

0.6

0.4

Two sets of velocity conditions summarized in Table 4 were tested. Under each set of conditions, the bearing pressure was increased by 1 MPa per hour. The limiting bearing pressure was recorded as the pressure at which the wear exceeded 20 m or the sliding surface melted. Table 5 summarizes limiting PV values calculated from the test velocity and limiting bearing pressure.
Table 4 Limit PV test condition
Characteristics Content

0.2

0.0

10

20

30

40

50

Test equipment Underwater high-speed ring on disk type Sliding velocity 100300 m/min Mating material SUS304Hv2000.4mRa Environment Antifreeze (normal temperature, no temperature control)

Time h

Fig. 4 Coefficient of dynamic friction of PPS bearings

Specific wear 10-8mm3/ Nm

500

Table 5 Limiting PV value

400

Sliding velocity (V)

300 200 100

Limiting bearing pressure (P) 7 MPa 3 MPa

Limiting PV value 700 MPam/min 900 MPam/min

100m/min 300m/min

4.6 Wear curve of BEAREE AS5704

0

BEAREE AS5704

PPS resin + fiber glass

PPS resin + carbon fiber

PPS resin + PTFE resin

Fig. 5 Specific wear of PPS bearings

Sliding area

Under the test conditions summarized in Table 6, the time-dependent wear on BEAREE AS 5704 specimen were measured; then the wear curve in Fig. 8 was plotted. This plot shows an initial wear phase beginning at the start of test and ending at 50 operating hours. After that point, the wear curve exhibits steady wear state and shows virtually no increase in the wear.
Table 6 Wear test condition
Characteristics Content

1mm

Test equipment Underwater high-speed ring on disk type Bearing pressure 1.15 MPa

Fig. 6 Surface roughness of mating material after test

Sliding velocity

170 m/min

Mating material SUS304Hv2000.4mRa Environment

Sliding area

Antifreeze (normal temperature, no temperature control) 500h

Test time

1mm

Fig. 7 Surface roughness of mating material after test

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Plastic Bearings for Electric Pumps for Next Generation Battery Cells

30

Wear m

20

10

Because its base material and filler are highly resistant to chemicals, FL3700 remains impervious to virtually all chemicals, and therefore is used in chemical pumps. For food machinery applications, the bearing resin material must not be black in color. Therefore, FL3642, which is pale yellow, is adopted 4).

7. Afterword
0 0 100 200 300 400 500

Time h

Fig. 8 Wear curve

5. Considerations about use of resin sliding bearings

When setting up the clearance between a resin sliding bearing and a mating shaft, it is necessary to consider the linear expansion coefficient of the resin material. Generally, linear expansion coefficients of resin materials are greater than those of metal materials. For example, in a case where the material of an impeller integrated with a bearing is a metal, or there is a temperature gradient across the bearing and the impeller, resulting in heat generation at the sliding area, the bearing expands toward its bore side. In this case, incorrect bearing clearance design can lead to elimination of bearing clearance to the mating shaft, and this in turn can lead to abnormally severe wear on the bearing and mating shaft 3).

EVs and EHVs will be more commonly used in the future. Consequently, demand for electromechanical pumps used on these vehicles will further expand. These electromechanical pumps need to be more efficient, have longer service life and feature much more compact size. Therefore, performance of resin sliding bearings for these pumps need to be further improved. To address these challenges, we are going to continue our research and development efforts for our resin sliding bearings so that we can further improve the sliding mechanism with our bearing products to improve their functionality. We believe that demands for resin sliding bearings will further increase in applications that require low friction and low wear characteristics. We hope this report may help deliver useful information to people involved in this engineering field.

References
1) O. Tajima: Development Status of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEFC) 2, Denki (2004) 35 (Japanese) 2) T. Hayashi: Machine Parts and Elements, Japan Plastics Vol. 57, No. 4 (2006) 50 (Japanese) 3) NTN Corporation Editing Team: Understanding Bearings (2007) 154 4) Oki and T. Ishii: Tribological Properties of PTFE Composite Materials in Water, Monthly Tribology Vol. 13, No. 12 (1999) 48 (Japanese)

6. Special materials for difficult applications

Electromechanical pumps have been used in various industrial fields and environments. In addition to BEAREE AS5704, NTN offers the BEAREE FL3700 and FL3642 lines of products made from PTFE resin as base material for difficult applications (Table 7).
Table 7 Bearings under special condition
Bearing BEARI FL3700 BEARI FL3642 Base material PTFE resin PTFE resin Advantages Chemical resistance Non-black color: may be used in contact with food or drinking water.

Photos of authors

Norio ITOH
Engneering dept. NTN Engneering Plastics Co.,ltd

Takuya ISHII
Engneering dept. NTN Engneering Plastics Co.,ltd

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