A peridynamic study on the effects of surface topography on rolling contact fatigue

A peridynamic(PD) fatigue simulation model is developed to study the effect of surface topography on rolling contact fatigue(RCF). Based on the PD fatigue damage-cumulative model proposed and verified in a previous study, a two-dimensional PD numerical model of the contact area of the rolling bearing is established, and the crack evolution and fatigue life of the model including surface topography with different dents and roughness are analyzed. The results show that cracks initiate from the shoulders of the dent, and then form spalling at the trailing edge, which is consistent with the experimental observations. Simulation of the model with sinusoidal and random rough profiles shows that there is competition between surface and subsurface crack nucleation. The larger the roughness amplitude or wavelength, the more prone to surface nucleation. Finally, the effects of roughness amplitude and wavelength on surface-originated pitting, subsurface-originated spalling and fatigue life are analyzed.

Automated summary

A peridynamic fatigue simulation model is developed to study the effect of surface topography on rolling contact fatigue. The crack evolution and fatigue life of the model including different dents and roughness are analyzed. The results show that cracks initiate from the shoulders of the dent and form spalling at the trailing edge.