SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Engine Design
Past Project

Damaged Bearing Analysis

 

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SwRI Project:

03-4941

Client:

Confidential

Duration:

2 Months

  image of sketch of connecting rod and bearing arrangement
 

SwRI prepared a 3-D model of the connecting rod and bearing arrangement.

Large engines that provide emergency standby power must be extremely reliable, at least for short periods of time. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) was asked to conduct an investigation of a connecting rod bearing failure and to determine if the failed part could have continued operation for 50 hours in the damaged condition.

 

Approach

SwRI performed a complete analysis to determine if the failed bearing could operate in a hydrodynamic fashion, using various models to determine the survivability of the damaged bearing.

 

The models looked at dynamic loading on the bearing and hydrodynamic bearing design. SwRI prepared a three-dimensional model of the connecting rod and bearing arrangement for the engine of interest and applied a software package called Automatic Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical Systems (ADAMS) which is capable of analyzing general three-dimensional kinematic and dynamic systems. Finally, a full-scale bearing simulation analysis was performed using proprietary code developed by SwRI.

 

For more information about this engine design project, or how you can contract with SwRI,  please contact Mark Tussing at mtussing@swri.org or (210) 522-2628.

 

enginedesign.swri.org

 

Contact Information

Mark Tussing

Engine Design

(210) 522-2628

mtussing@swri.org

enginedesign.swri.org

Related Terminology

engine design

engine analysis

thermodynamic analysis

mechanical design

mechanical analysis

engine emissions

fuel economy

engine power

unique engines

engine components

connecting rod bearing failure

dynamic loading

damaged bearing analysis

 

 

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Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®), headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is a multidisciplinary, independent, nonprofit, applied engineering and physical sciences research and development organization with 11 technical divisions.

December 28, 2012