Kent, J.J. orcid.org/0000-0003-0484-7578, Loures, M.D.C. and Gower, A.L. orcid.org/0000-0002-3229-5451 (2025) Elastic waves in bearing raceways: the forward and inverse problem. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 481 (2322). 20240972. ISSN: 1364-5021
Abstract
Turbines are crucial to our energy infrastructure, and ensuring their bearings function with minimal friction while often supporting heavy loads is vital. Vibrations within a bearing can signal the presence of defects, friction or misalignment. However, current detection methods are neither robust nor easy to automate. We propose a more quantitative approach by modelling the elastic waves within bearing raceways. By approximating the raceway as a hollow cylinder, we derive straightforward 4 × 4 systems for its vibrational modes, enabling both forward and inverse problem solving. We also demonstrate how to significantly reduce the number of required sensors by using a simple prior: the known number of rollers and their angular speed. We present numerical examples showcasing the full recovery of contact traction between bearings and the raceway, as well as the detection of elastic emissions.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2025 The Authors. Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited. |
Keywords: | Elastic waves; ultrasonics; bearings; inverse problems |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering |
Date Deposited: | 29 Sep 2025 14:17 |
Last Modified: | 29 Sep 2025 14:17 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | The Royal Society |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1098/rspa.2024.0972 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:232322 |
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