Scuffing Failure of Hydrodynamic Bearings Due to an Abrasive Contaminant Partially Penetrated in the Bearing Over-Layer

Abstract

Recently Khonsari et al. 1 analyzed the scuffing failure of hydrodynamic bearings caused by an abrasive contaminant. Modeled as a spherically shaped rigid particle, the contaminant was envisioned to penetrate into the protective over-layer while positioning itself in rubbing contact with the slider. Excessive temperature rise between the particle-slider interface was used as an indication of whether scuffing would take place. The model uses this temperature rise in conjunction with the material properties to determine the critical particle size that may result in scuffing failure. This information can be used as a guide for selecting an appropriate filter size. The tendency over the past decade or so has been to utilize finer filter sizes to enhance components’ lifetimes by reducing wear associated with abrasive contamination (see Fisher and Donahue 2). However, an ultra-fine filter is susceptible to clogging and therefore requires frequent attention.