Particle Entrapment in Hybrid Lubricated Point Contacts

This study proposes an innovative approach for the study of particle entrapment in rolling element bearings (REBs). Two couples of contacting materials were considered, the classical steel-steel and silicon nitride-steel used in hybrid bearings. Numerical simulations, as well as experiments, combine theoretical trajectories for incoming contaminant particles and effective entrapment ratios observed within a twin-disc machine. Linking both approaches allows the highlighting of some key parameters leading to particle entrapment under pure rolling conditions in elastohydrodynamic point contacts.