IMSD_ACMD, 174, v3: ’Effects of Deformable Supporting Structure and Differential Th . . .

The 6th Joint International Conference on Multibody System Dynamics and

The 10th Asian Conference on Multibody System Dynamics
November 1-5, 2020,New Delhi, India

Effects of Deformable Supporting Structure and Differential Thermal

Expansions on Fatigue Life of Slewing Ball Bearings for Nuclear Reactor
Application – A Multibody Dynamics Approach

Sudheer Reddy Tenali, Sriramachandra Aithal

Reactor Design & Technology Group

Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research
Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, India
[sudheer, saithal]@igcar.gov.in

Abstract
Nuclear energy is one of the major sources of green energy. Among the nuclear reactor designs
available at present, generation-IV reactor designs meet the highest standards of nuclear safety [1].
Sodium Cooled Fast Reactors (SFRs) is the most developed generation-IV design with about 400
reactor years of operational experience. Moreover, SFRs also offer sustainable closed fuel cycle
capability by breeding more nuclear fuel than they consume and also burns minor actinides reducing
the nuclear waste. Owing to these advantages, a Prototype Sodium Cooled Fast Breeder Reactor
(PFBR) is being constructed at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, India. In PFBR, fuel and other sub-
assemblies are handled by the combined rotation of Large Rotatable Plug (LRP), Small Rotatable Plug
(SRP) and transfer arm [2]. Rotatable plugs are supported on large size angle contact thrust ball
bearings to facilitate rotation during fuel handling operations. Spacer balls are used as load ball
separators. The layout of PFBR reactor assembly showing the positioning of rotatable plug bearings is
shown in Figure 1.

In general rotatable plug bearings in FBRs are subjected to axial, radial and tilting moment loads along
with circumferential temperature gradient on bearing races due to their proximity to hot heat
exchangers at certain angular positions. As reactor fuel handling is dependent on the availability of
rotatable plug bearings, reliable operation of these bearings for the entire reactor design life is of
paramount importance. Load distribution on the rolling elements is an important input for estimating
the load-bearing capacity – static capacity – and fatigue life using ISO-76 and ISO 281 standards
published by International Standards Organization (ISO) [3] [4]. However, ISO standards do not
account for non-uniform load distribution caused by geometric inaccuracies such as bearing race
deformations, manufacturing errors, and differential thermal expansions. Non-uniform load
distribution subjects certain rolling elements to high load causing unacceptable indentations on bearing
races and excessive sub-surface shear stress at rolling elements to bearing race contacts reducing the
fatigue life of bearing [5].

Figure 1: Rotatable Plug Slewing Ball Bearings Positioning in Prototype Fast Breeder
Reactor
2 IMSD_ACMD, 174, v3: ’Effects of Deformable Supporting Structure and Differential Th . . .

Rotatable plug bearings are subjected to bearing race deformation – undulations – due to flexible
supporting structure, and circumferential temperature gradient induces differential thermal expansion
along the circumference of bearing races. Therefore, it is necessary to study the effect of the
deformable support structure and temperature gradient on load distribution among the rolling elements
which may adversely affect the life of the bearing. The effect of flexible support structure on load
bearings and methods to estimate the load distribution is well studied in literature. However, the
methods used are static finite element analysis (FEA) based approaches where rolling elements are
modeled as non-linear springs or beams or custom made super elements [6]. A major limitation of
FEA based methods is that they cannot be used to account for dynamic interactions of rolling elements
with spacer balls and bearing races. Simulating dynamic interaction between rolling elements and
bearing races captures the change in contact angle which affects the load acting on the rolling element.
Simulation of interaction between load and spacers accounts for excess load acting on rolling elements
that push other rolling elements which lost contact with moving or driving bearing race. Hence, a
flexible Multi-Body Dynamic (MBD) simulation of bearings is performed using a general-purpose
commercial MBD tool – Recurdyn [7].

An angular contact slewing ball bearing of two-meter pitch diameter and contact angle of 60° is used
in simulations. Its top race is modeled as a flexible body to simulate its deformation under the
influence of undulations. Contacts between the rolling elements and races are modeled as per Hertzian
contact parameters [5]. A parametric study is performed with undulations modeled on the bottom race
in the form of a wave of amplitudes - 0.8 mm, 1.6 mm and 2.4 mm and the bearing is subjected to a
symmetric axial load. It is observed that the presence of undulations resulted in non-uniform load
distribution with high loads acting on rolling elements at peaks of undulations modeled on bearing. It
is also observed that rolling elements present in undulation valleys lost contact with the top race and
are not subjected to any load from the top race. Rolling elements in valleys are pushed forward by
balls following them resulting in increased interaction forces between the load ball and spacer ball.
Similarly, a parametric study is performed with circumferential temperature differences of 7.5°C, 10°C
and 12.5°C applied at two locations on bearing races. It is found that the load on the rolling elements
remained uniform at all the locations except for the locations where thermal expansions are present.
Finally, the combined effect of undulations and temperature gradient are studied and conservative
estimate of maximum load acting on the rolling element are obtained at location where undulation
peak and thermal expansion are coinciding. The fatigue life of the bearing is estimated based on the
obtained load distributions.

Multibody dynamic simulations assisted in the estimation of load distribution under the influence of
deformable supporting structure and differential thermal expansions. From these results, it can be
concluded that in both the above cases load distribution is found to be non-uniform resulting in higher
loads on certain rolling elements. These load distributions are used to further estimate the fatigue life
of bearing and formulate design recommendations to limit the magnitude of deformation of the support
structure and circumferential temperature gradient.

References
[1] Igor L.P.: Handbook of generation IV Nuclear Reactors (1st edition). Woodhead Publishing, 2016.
[2] Raghupathy, S.;Varghese, Jose; Surendran, C.S.; Sakthivel Rajan, V.N.; Arumugam, S.; Sanjeev;
Puthiyavinayagam, P.: Component Handling System: Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) and
Beyond. In International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles. Next Generation
Nuclear Systems for Sustainable Development (FR17) Programme and Papers, (p. v).
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), 2017.
[3] ISO Standard: ISO 76 – Rolling bearings static load ratings, 2006.
[4] ISO Standard: ISO 281 – Rolling bearings dynamic load ratings, 2007.
[5] Harris T.A.; Kotzalas M.N.: Essential Concepts of Bearing Technology (5th Edition). Taylor and
Francis, 2007.
[6] Smolnicki, T.; Rusiński, E.: Superelement-Based Modeling of Load Distribution in Large-Size
Slewing Bearings. Journal of Mechanical Design, Vol. 129, pp. 459-463, 2007.
[7] Recurdyn documentation - Recurdyn User's manual.