The Role of Thermally-Induced Geometrical Changes in Temperature Trending of Railroad Tapered Roller Bearings

The understanding of the phenomenon of temperature trending of railroad tapered roller bearings is of paramount importance to the railroad industry. The problem that this poses to the industry is that it leads to false alarms triggered by wayside detectors, which forces the premature removal of defect-free bearings. This thesis provides more insight into this phenomenon and answers questions regarding the importance of key tapered roller bearing components geometry and geometrical changes during temperature trending events. In this study, dynamic experiments conducted in the laboratory have represented the primary method of testing bearing temperature trending. The experimental results are brought together with theoretical calculations of rates of heat generation and finite element investigations in an attempt to map out the temperature and geometrical changes that occur within bearing components during a temperature trending event