Simulation Analysis and Experimental Research on Electric Thermal Coupling of Current Bearing

With the advancement of industries such as high-speed railways, new energy vehicles, and wind power, bearings are frequently exposed to various electric field environments, leading to the need for lubricating oil films of bearings to withstand voltage. One of the major issues caused by the breakdown discharge process of the lubricating oil film in bearings is the generation of local instantaneous high temperatures. This temperature rise is a key factor contributing to problems such as high operating temperature of bearings, surface damage in the contact area, and degradation of lubrication performance. This research article focuses on the comprehensive influence of bearing friction and electrical factors. It establishes a heat source calculation model and a temperature field simulation model specifically for current-carrying bearings. This study analyzes both the overall temperature rise of bearings and the local temperature rise resulting from breakdown discharge. Furthermore, the accuracy of the simulation analysis is verified through experiments. The temperature field simulation and experimental results consistently indicate that electrical environmental factors can cause an increase in the overall temperature rise of a bearing. Additionally, the breakdown and discharge of the lubricating oil film generate local instantaneous high temperatures in the contact area of the bearing.