Long Life Bearings for Automotive Alternator Applications

This paper investigates and describes the fatigue mechanism in bearings for automotive alternators. We have analyzed the peculiar microstructure change found in these bearings. We have also investigated the effects of grease properties, vibration, and elastic deformation of the outer ring. By analyzing the bearings used in actual engine tests and grease tests for fundamental characteristics, we were able to conclude that the fatigue causes were two-fold: load amplification caused by resonance and high bending stresses caused by elastic deformation of the outer ring. As a practical result, we were able to adopt a newly formulated grease which decreased the vibration level and the peak rolling element load. This led to the development of longer life bearings for automotive alternators.