THE ANNALS OF UNIVERSITY “DUNĂREA DE JOS “ OF GALAŢI 13

FASCICLE VIII, 2007 (XIII), ISSN 1221-4590

TRIBOLOGY

Paper present at

International Conference on
Diagnosis and Prediction in Mechanical
Engineering Systems (DIPRE’07)
26 - 27 October 2007, Galati, Romania

NEURAL NETWORKS BASED STUDY OF FRICTION COEFFICIENT

VARIATION IN SLIDING BEARINGS
Adolfo SENATORE1, Alessandro RUGGIERO1,
Vasile PALADE2, Sorin CIORTAN2
1
Universita degli Study di Salerno, Italy
2
University "Dunarea de Jos" Galati, Romania
sorin.ciortan@ugal.ro

ABSTRACT
The paper presents the possibility of using the neural networks approach for the
analysis of friction coefficient evolution in case of sliding bearings.
Several non-metallic bearing materials are investigated, both with water and
emulsion as lubricant.
The results show that the neural networks can be successfully used for prediction
of friction coefficient evolution during bearing service. This way the working life of
the bearing can be predicted with higher accuracy, leading to preventing the
mechanical systems failure.

KEYWORDS: Neural network, friction coefficient, sliding bearings, non-metallic

materials

1. INTRODUCTION speed values. Present paper proposes a neural net-

The friction coefficient value is depending on
different factors like: external normal load on the
friction area, the nature of the friction and of the
lubricant, sliding speed, temperature and contact areas
ruggedness [6] Present paper takes into account the
load, the lubricant fluid and the sliding speed.
The scientific literature [7] shows that, in case
of non-metallic materials, generally the friction
coefficient value increase up with the increasing of
external load until a maximum, decreasing after that.
The friction coefficient variation with the sliding
speed is different for different tested materials,
external load value, lubricant type etc. but generally a
decrease tendency with the increase of the sliding
speed can be praised.
Due to the combined influence of above men-
tioned factors is difficult to predict the friction
coefficient value for a specific set of load-lubricant-
work based model to be used for friction coefficient
values in sliding bearings. with non-metallic bush
(high-densified wood and textolite) and steel shaft.
The lubricant is pure water and soap-water mixture.
2. EXPERIMENTAL MEASUREMENTS
In order to training the neural network, some
experimental acquired data were needed.
Experimental work was done using an original
designed test rig [4] that simulates sliding friction
with a shoe-roller tribomodel type.
The test rig's driver is a hydraulic variator
(VAR-SPE type), 1 (fig. 1), with 5.5 kW power and
variable rotational speed. The movement arrives by
the belt transmission 2 to the shaft 3 and from here,
trough the couple 4, the torque transducer 5 (T30
FN200 type), the couple 6 and the shaft 7 to the
triboelement R1 (a sabot type one)..
 THE ANNALS OF UNIVERSITY “DUNĂREA DE JOS “ OF GALAŢI
FASCICLE VIII, 2007 (XIII), ISSN 1221-4590
TRIBOLOGY
The triboelement’s rotation speed is variable
between 0 – 2000 rot/min, the diameter is D=60 mm.
The constant load is applied on the triboelement
R1, with simultaneous pressing, by loading device 8.
The loading device’s driver is the hydraulic group 9,
controlled from the electrical panel 11 and the
display-command block 10.
Fig. 1. Sliding bearing test rig.
The sliding shoe-roller type tribomodel has the
roller (R1) made of steel grade OLC 45 thermally
treated to get a hardness of HRC 35 and the shoe
triboelements (R2) made either of textolite or high-
densified wood (having 15 mm width and a
cylindrical internal surface of 450 mm2).
In order to point out transient regimes at loading
and unloading, the parameters were measured and
recorded using a dynamic acquisition data system
DMCplus (Hottinger), a torque transducer type T30
FN 200 (Hottinger) and a PC for data storage and
friction coefficient calculating.
The obtained experimental results for textolite
and high-densified wood, with water and soap
solution as lubricants [8], at different load, sliding
speed and pressures were used for training the neural
network model.
3. ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS
MODELS
A neural network is a powerful data modeling
tool that is able to capture and represent complex
input/output relationships, capable to performing
"intelligent" tasks similar to those performed by the
human brain. Neural networks [3] resemble the
human brain in the following two ways:
- A neural network acquires knowledge through
learning.
- A neural network's knowledge is stored within
inter-neuron connection strengths known as synaptic
weights.
The true power and advantage of neural
networks lies in their ability to represent both linear
and non-linear relationships and in their ability to
learn these relationships directly from the data being
modeled. Traditional linear models are simply
inadequate when it comes to modeling data that
contains non-linear characteristics.
14
The most common neural network model is the
multilayer perceptron (MLP), figure 2. This type of
neural network is known as a supervised network
because it requires a desired output in order to learn.
The goal of this type of network is to create a
model that correctly maps the input to the output
using historical data so that the model can then be
used to produce the output when the desired output is
unknown. A graphical representation of an MLP is
shown below
Fig. 2. MLP neural network architecture.
The MLP and many other neural networks learn
using an algorithm called backpropagation. With
backpropagation, the input data is repeatedly presen-
ted to the neural network. With each presentation the
output of the neural network is compared to the
desired output and an error is computed. This error is
then fed back (backpropagated) to the neural network
and used to adjust the weights such that the error
decreases with each iteration and the neural model
gets closer and closer to producing the desired output.
This process is known as "training".
In order to obtain and manipulate the neural mo-
dels the EasyNN-Plus specialized software was used.
For both models the inputs were: lubricant type,
load and sliding speed. Because only two lubricants
were used (pure water and soap-water solution) the
corresponding input was set as boolean type.
The output is in, both cases, the friction
coefficient value.
In order to train the neural networks the
maximum error value was settled at 0.001% and
validation rate as 100 cycles. In figure 4 the training
graphs for studied materials are presented.
The training stage is over when the maximum
error reaches 0.001%. During the learning all the
validation tests are 100% true so the models can be
used for friction coefficient behaviour analysis.
The experimentally obtained data both for high-
densified wood and textolite were used for growing
and optimizing neural network architectures. The final
results are presented in figure 3.
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FASCICLE VIII, 2007 (XIII), ISSN 1221-4590
TRIBOLOGY
a) for high-densified wood
b) for textolite.
Fig. 3. Neural network models.
a) high-densified wood.
b) textolite.
Fig. 4. Training graphs.
15
4. FRICTION COEFFICIENT STUDY
BASED ON NEURAL MODELS
The presented neural network models can be
used for the analysis of input parameters influence on
friction coefficient value or for prediction of this one
for a known set of inputs values.
4.1. Inputs Parameters Influence on
Friction Coefficient Value
EasyNN software [1] can deliver useful
information about the inputs influence on the output
of the neural model.
The information on the inputs importance can be
interpreted as numerical values or just as the hierarchy
of the inputs. For a numerical interpretation several
learning cycles must be accomplished on the neural
model, followed by a statistical processing of
acquired data. This procedure is required because of
the neural model's weights values, different for each
learning cycle [2]. In this paper only the inputs
importance hierarchy is taken into account.
In figure 5 the importance hierarchy for the
hagh-densified wood and textolite is presented.
Is obvious, in figure 5, that in both high-
densified wood and textolite case the inputs
importance hierarchy is the same: on the first position
is sliding speed, followed by the loading pressure and
the lubricant type. It is also remarkable that in high-
densified wood case the sliding speed has a higher
influence (almost double), comparing the other two
inputs. In textolite case the three inputs have almost
the same influence values, even the hierarchy is
preserved.
a) high-densified wood
b) textolite
Fig. 5. Inputs importance graphs.
In order to verify the neural model
specifications in figure 6 the friction coefficient
variation is presented [4], for both materials, under
sliding speed and loading pressure influence only.
In both high-densified wood and textolite case it
comes out that the friction coefficient has a maximum
value at low speed and after that is decreasing, with
the increase of the sliding speed. This can be
explained by the softening of materials because of
dissipated energy, as friction heat and a low rate of
lubricant flow in low speed case. This way the real
contact area is growing, leading to the increasing of
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FASCICLE VIII, 2007 (XIII), ISSN 1221-4590
TRIBOLOGY

friction force, respectively of friction coefficient. At Figure 7 presents the comparative results of
maximum load value, on the metallic-non-metallic predicted friction coefficient values and experimental
contact area the melting of the material is occurring, measured ones.
leading to the decreasing of the friction coefficient
value because of the lubricating effect of the melted
film.

a) high-densified wood.

a) high-densified wood

b) textolite
Fig. 7. Friction coefficient measured versus predicted
values.

Table 1 a presents the average friction

coefficient values (both predicted and measured) for
b) textolite
Fig. 6. Friction coefficient variation. tested ranges (sliding speed 1...2.5 m/s and loading
pressure 4.4…10.9 MPa). Based on acquired data a
correlation coefficient can be computed.
It is obvious that on the sliding speed axis the
variation of the friction coefficient is higher than on
the loading axis, this behavior being in concordance Table 1.
with the neural model results. Material Lubricant Friction coefficient
The friction coefficient values are lower in the Measured Predicted
high-densified wood case for pure-water as lubricant. High- soap-water 0.0835 0.0816
The better behaviour of the high-densified wood can densified
pure water 0.0779 0.0769
be explained by his higher higroscopicity, due to a wood
high number of filling material microscopic fibers on Textolite soap-water 0.0402 0.0397
his surface. These fibers are imbued with lubricant pure water 0.0953 0.0924
maintaining this one even at very high contact Average correlation coefficient = 0.98038
pressures. These fibers are creating a "pillow" of
lubricant between the non-metallic material and the
5. CONCLUSIONS
metallic shaft.
Experimental researches, correlated with
4.2. Friction Coefficient Value Prediction artificial neural networks models results show that:
- artificial neural networks can be used for
A valid neural network model can be used for building models that accurate describe the evolution
prediction of output values for a particular set of of friction coefficient in sliding bearings;
inputs with two assumptions: - the models allow the analyze of main
- the inputs values must be different of that used parameters (sliding speed, load pressure and lubricant
as training or validation of the model; type) influence on the friction coefficient evolution;
- the inputs values must be in the range of - based on neural models the values of friction
training and validations data. coefficient can be predicted starting from known
 THE ANNALS OF UNIVERSITY “DUNĂREA DE JOS “ OF GALAŢI
FASCICLE VIII, 2007 (XIII), ISSN 1221-4590
TRIBOLOGY
values of input parameters;
- the prediction error is very good with a
correlation coefficient of 0.98038;
- for both tested materials the friction
coefficient value is decreasing with the increasing of
the sliding speed;
- for pure water as lubricant the high-densified
wood friction coefficient values are lower than those
for textolite;
- for soap-water solution as lubricant the high-
densified wood friction coefficient values are higher
than those of textolite;
- the friction coefficient - contact pressure and
friction coefficient - sliding speed variation curves
form are similar for both materials.
17
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