Endurance and failure characteristic of main-shaft jet engine bearing at 3 million DN

Groups of thirty 120-mm bore angular-contact ball bearings were endurance tested at a speed of 12,000 and 25,000 rpm (1.44 million and 3.0 million DN, where DN is the product of the bearing bore in mm and the shaft speed in rpm) and a thrust load of 66,721 N. The bearings were manufactured from a single heat of VIM-VAR AISI M-50 steel. At 1.44 million and 3.0 million DN, 84,483 and 74,800 bearing test hours were accumulated, respectively. Test results were compared with similar bearings made from CVM AISI M-50 steel run under the same conditions. Bearing lives at speeds of 3 million DN with the VIM-VAR AISI M-50 steel were nearly equivalent to those obtained at lower speeds. A combined processing and material life factor of 44 was found for VIM-VAR AISI M-50 steel. Continuous running after a spall has occurred at 3.0 million DN can result in a destructive fracture of the bearing inner race.