Speaker
Description
Bearings are versatile machine components –they are found in a wide variety of environments, some of which contain high amounts of hydrogen. With the transition to a greener economy, it is time to revisit applications where hydrogen is a critical constituentin the environment. One product segment of particular interest is pumps and compressors, which have to be designed to operate to pressures of 1000 bar and at temperatures that can reach 200 °C, sometimes even higher. The design loads are also normally quitehigh: 3 GPa for a point contact and 1.5 GPa for line contacts. These combinations pose particular challenges on the steel and its microstructure. Given hardness levels above 60 HRC, the steel is already brittle to begin with. Additional hydrogen in the material,even at low ppm-levels, may prove critical to bearing performance.
In this presentation, common failure types in different environments will be discussed, including sub surface fatigue. Experience from applications will be shown together with current material challenges for bearings in hydrogen containing environments.