Ultrasonic Inspection of Reconditioned Railroad Bearing Components – Year 3
Freight rail bearings are often subjected to heavy loads such that the performance of each bearing plays a crucial role in the safe operation of the entire train. Even bearings that are properly maintained may still fail due to rolling contact fatigue (RCF) if local regions within the bearing race do not meet established effective case depth (ECD) standards. In addition, little is known about potential changes that may occur within the highest stress region after extensive service life. Ultrasonic grain scattering shows sensitivity to both microstructure and residual stresses such that nondestructive measurement methods based on diffuse ultrasonic backscatter have shown a high correlation with the overall status of the raceway. Results from the first year showed clear differences between new and reconditioned bearing cups in terms of their ultrasonic signatures. This work will be expanded to include spatial maps of raceways to identify locations that are outside the statistical bounds expected for a given part. Those locations will be identified and those parts will be tested in simulated service life testing at UTRGV for comparison with the predictions.
- Record URL:
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Supplemental Notes:
- MxV Rail and UTRGV are partners for this project.
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Active
- Funding: $96,544.00
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Contract Numbers:
69A3552348340
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Sponsor Organizations:
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
University Transportation Centers Program
Department of Transportation
Washington, DC United States 20590University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Lincoln, NE United States -
Managing Organizations:
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Lincoln, NE United States -
Project Managers:
Stearns, Amy
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Performing Organizations:
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Lincoln, NE United States -
Principal Investigators:
Turner, Joseph
Tarawneh, Constantine
- Start Date: 20250601
- Expected Completion Date: 20260831
- Actual Completion Date: 0
- USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Bearing tests; Bearings; Fatigue tests; Microstructure; Railcar structural components; Railroad safety; Rolling contact; Ultrasonic tests
- Subject Areas: Maintenance and Preservation; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01960671
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: University Transportation Center for Railway Safety
- Contract Numbers: 69A3552348340
- Files: UTC, RIP
- Created Date: Jul 14 2025 7:01PM