Tribological Problems and how to reduce them

Introduction
Tribology is the name given to the science and technology of interacting surfaces
in relative motion, is indeed one of the most basic concepts of engineering,
especially of engineering design. The term tribology describes the field of friction,
lubrication and wears concepts and knowledge offered by tribology.
The view that tribology is an essential part of machine design can be further
reinforced by a brief review of tribological problems encountered in the most
common machine elements.
Tribological Problems:
1. Plain sliding bearings
When a journal bearing (Figure 1) operates in the
hydrodynamic regime of lubrication,
a hydrodynamic film develops. Under these
conditions conformal surfaces are fully separated
and a copious flow of lubricant is provided to prevent
overheating. In these circumstances of complete separation, mechanical
Figure 1
wear does not take place. However, this ideal situation is not always
achieved. Sometimes misalignment, either inherent in the way the machine is
assembled or of a transient nature arising from thermal or elastic distortion, may
cause metal-metal contact. Moreover, contact may occur at the instant of starting
(before the hydrodynamic film has had the opportunity to develop fully), the
bearing may be overloaded from time to time and foreign particles may enter the
film space.
2. Rolling contact bearing
Rolling contact bearings make up the widest class of machine elements which
embody Hertzian contact problems. From a practical point of view, they are
usually divided into two broad classes; ball bearings (Figure 2) and roller
bearings (Figure 3), although the nature of contact and the laws governing
friction and wear behaviour are common to both classes. Although contact is
basically a rolling one, in most cases an element of sliding is involved and this is
particularly the case with certain types of roller bearings, notably the taper rolling
bearings.

Figure 2

Figure 3

3. Piston, piston rings and cylinder liners

One of the most common machine elements is the piston within a cylinder which
normally forms part of an engine (Figure 4), although similar arrangements are
also found in pumps, hydraulic motors, gas compressors and vacuum
exhausters. The prime function of a piston
assembly is to act as a seal and to counterbalance
the action of fluid forces acting on the head of the
piston. Pistons are normally lubricated although in
some cases, notably in the chemical industry,
specially formulated piston rings are provided to
function without lubrication. Materials based on
polymers, having intrinsic self-lubricating
properties, are frequently used.
In many cases design must be a compromise,
because a very effective lubrication of the piston
assembly (i.e. thick oil film, low friction and no
blow-by) could lead to high oil consumption in an
Figure 4
internal combustion engine. On the other hand, most of the
wear takes place in the vicinity of the top-dead-centre where the combination of
pressure, velocity and temperature are least favourable to the operation of a
hydrodynamic film.
There are other tribological problems that can be found in endless applications
such as, gears, cam and cam followers, brake pads etc. but we have chosen
three components that are common in mechanical design.
Ways to eliminate/reduce mechanical damage due to tribological problems:
It is beneficial to reduce the friction between surfaces to make movement easier
or reduce the wear and tear on a surface. There are a number of ways to reduce
friction:
1. Make the surfaces smoother. Rough surfaces produce more friction and
smooth surfaces reduce friction. Some swimmers wear suits to reduce
underwater resistance. These suits mimic the smooth skin of sharks.
2. Lubrication is another way to make a surface smoother. The use of
lubricants like oil and grease helps to reduce friction by forming a thin film
between different parts of a machine. This film covers up the scratches
and lumps present on the surfaces of different parts and thus makes the
surface more even than before. This reduces
interlocking between the two surfaces, and hence the
parts of the machine run smoothly
3. Make the object more
streamlined. A streamline shape (Figure 5) is one
that allows air or water to flow around it easily,
offering the least resistance. Compare a boxy old car
with a new car that has a rounded shape, allowing it
Figure 5

to move with less effort.

4. Reduce the forces acting on the surfaces: The stronger the forces
acting on the surfaces, the higher the friction, so reducing the forces would
reduce the friction
5. Reduce the contact between the surfaces: Spheres are the best shape
for reducing friction because very little of a spherical object is in contact
with the other surface. Ball bearings are used to reduce the friction
between the moving parts.. Rolling friction is less than sliding friction,
thereby decreasing the amount of friction in the machine.
6. Temperature: Both ambient and operational temperature can affect
friction. For example, temperature is a critical element in whether an antiwear or extreme pressure additive will be effective in certain applications.
7. Relative Speed Increasing the speed beyond that which is safely
specified will dramatically increase friction.
8. Change of Materials in contact: Sometimes changing the materials in
contact help to reduce the coefficient of friction between the two
contacting surfaces
9. Electromagnetic Fields: The electrical current is used to either create an
opposing magnetic field, or to charge a field, which can then be repelled.
When a current flows through a conductor in a magnetic field, an
electromagnetic force known as a Lorentz force, pushes the conductor in
a direction perpendicular to the conductor and the magnetic field. This
repulsing force is what causes propulsion in a system designed to take
advantage of the phenomenon
Practical Case Study: An Analysis Of Fan Roller Bearing Failure
The application presented here is a case study of a power plant fan failure. The
roller bearing of the fixed fan shaft support was completely damaged.
1. History
The fan shaft (Figure 6) is embedded on two double-row self-aligning spherical
roller bearings. The bearing in the fixed shaft support, next to the fan impeller, is
mounted in the housing and on the shaft over the bush (Figure 7). The
prescribed fits are: a transition fit between the bush and the shaft, an interference
fit between the bearing inner ring and the bush, a clearance fit between the
housing and the bearing outer ring

Figure 6

Figure 7

2. Factors leading to accident

Prescribed fits between coupled parts in the bearing arrangement did not
provide sufficient interference between bush and shaft depending on the
installation and operating condition of the bearing. Under the conditions of a
small clearance or interference, insufficiently tight joint between bush and
shaft was transferred to a micro-sliding joint. Consequently, the contacting
surfaces were exposed to wear due to fretting [Dobromirski, 1986; Navarro,
2003].
Furthermore the thermal flux generated inside caused reduction of the
bearing internal radial clearance. Thus the friction moment and temperature
of the bearing were increased. Under such conditions, the bush-shaft microsliding joint was transformed into the sliding joint. The enormous friction and
large heat release caused the bearing inner ring and shaft melting, as well as
severe destruction of the bearing cage and rollers
3. How the problem can be solved
Carried out analysis has shown that by selecting of narrower tolerances and
performing assembly with strictly controlled dimensions of the bearing
arrangement coupled parts the roller bearing failure could be avoided

References
1. 1.Tribology in Machine Design, T. A. STOLARSKI
2. http://www.rtpcompany.com/markets/electronics/reduce-friction-wear/
3. http://www.tutorvista.com/content/physics/physics-iii/motion-laws/reducefriction.php
4. http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/29181/reduce-friction-surfaces
5. An analysis of fan roller bearing failure, 15th International Conference on
Experimental Mechanics, Porto/Portugal 2012