Continue with FacebookLooking to list your PhD opportunities? Log in here.
Prof H Long
Applications accepted all year round
Self-Funded PhD Students Only
About the Project
Modern wind turbine gearbox bearings are failing prematurely, by white structure flaking and axial cracking, which may be caused by the propagation of subsurface white etching cracks (WECs). Their damage mechanism is currently not well understood; one hypothesis for WEC formation is that they initiate at subsurface defects, such as non-metallic inclusions.
This project will develop Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) testing programme of bearing steel samples to investigate effects of some key factors, including high contact pressure, impact loading, surface slip and their interactions with subsurface non-metallic inclusions, on WEC initiation and propagation. Damage characterisation on samples of field return bearings will be conducted by destructively sectioning and microstructural observation using optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The damage characterisation will support the development of RCF testing programme to recreate WECs under controlled lab test conditions. The testing methodology and understanding obtained through this project will reach conclusions to verify the hypothesis of subsurface defect initiated WEC damage and its failure mechanism.
This project will develop Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) testing programme of bearing steel samples to investigate effects of some key factors, including high contact pressure, impact loading, surface slip and their interactions with subsurface non-metallic inclusions, on WEC initiation and propagation. Damage characterisation on samples of field return bearings will be conducted by destructively sectioning and microstructural observation using optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The damage characterisation will support the development of RCF testing programme to recreate WECs under controlled lab test conditions. The testing methodology and understanding obtained through this project will reach conclusions to verify the hypothesis of subsurface defect initiated WEC damage and its failure mechanism.
Funding Notes
1st or 2:1 degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, Applied Mathematics, or other Relevant Discipline.
This project is available only for Self funded students.
This project is available only for Self funded students.
Email Now
You haven’t included a message. Providing a specific message means universities will take your enquiry more seriously and helps them provide the information you need.
Why not add a message here
Why not add a message here
* required field
The information you submit to University of Sheffield will only be used by them or their data partners to deal with your enquiry, according to their privacy notice. For more information on how we use and store your data, please read our privacy statement.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Search suggestions
Based on your current searches we recommend the following search filters.
Check out our other PhDs in Sheffield, United Kingdom
Check out our other PhDs in United Kingdom
Start a New search with our database of over 4,000 PhDs
PhD suggestions
Based on your current search criteria we thought you might be interested in these.
Damage characterisation and root cause analysis of wind turbine pitch bearings
University of Sheffield
Techno-economic investigation of a Syngas – Combined Cycle Gas Turbine – Amine Capture Plant
University of Sheffield
Effect of Mechanical Strain on Water Treeing Mechanism of Dynamic Cable for Floating Offshore Wind Applications
The University of Manchester