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Contact Fatigue Damage and Fracture Failure of a Bearing Outer-Race Used on a Locomotive Wheelset

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Abstract

Fracture took place on the upper-edge of one side of the bearing outer-ring used in a locomotive wheel in service, and two small pieces had separated from the outer-ring. The fractographic study indicates that the fracture mode is of instantaneous initial cracking and fatigue propagation. Fracture of the edge was caused by abnormally high contact loading on the upper-end of one race of the bearing cup. Extensive spalling is present on the upper part of the raceway of the broken side of the bearing outer-ring, and the surface contact fatigue is its primary failure mode. The occurrence of a large inclined load on the raceway of one side of outer-ring is responsible for the serious spalling damage on the raceway of the outer-ring.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Electromechanics and Material Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, 116026, People’s Republic of China

    Xiao-lei Xu, Zhi-wei Yu & Zhi Yang

Authors
  1. Xiao-lei Xu
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  2. Zhi-wei Yu
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  3. Zhi Yang
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Correspondence to Xiao-lei Xu.

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Xu, Xl., Yu, Zw. & Yang, Z. Contact Fatigue Damage and Fracture Failure of a Bearing Outer-Race Used on a Locomotive Wheelset. J Fail. Anal. and Preven. 12, 375–381 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-012-9572-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-012-9572-2

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