SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 28 November 2014
STP158020140046

A Review: The Dilemma With Premature White Etching Crack (WEC) Bearing Failures

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Wind turbine gearboxes are subjected to a wide variety of operating conditions, some of which may push the bearings beyond their limits. Damage may be done to the bearings resulting in a specific premature failure mode known as white etching cracks (WECs), sometimes called irregular, or white structured flaking (WSF). In this paper, some influencing factors that can lead to WEC failure will be discussed and related to existing root cause hypotheses. From this work, it is clear that a generalized simple root cause is counterproductive, pinpointing the need to carefully evaluate each WEC case in the light of the corresponding application.

Author Information

Stadler, Kenred
Renewable Energy Application Development Center, SKF GmbH, Schweinfurt, DE
Lai, Junbiao
Engineering and Research Center, SKF B.V., MT Nieuwegein, NL
Vegter, Reinder, Hindrik
Engineering and Research Center, SKF B.V., MT Nieuwegein, NL
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Details
Developed by Committee: A01
Pages: 1–22
DOI: 10.1520/STP158020140046
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-7606-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-7605-8