Finite Element Analysis of Fatigue in Silicon Nitride Ball Bearings Under Hertzian Contact and Lubrication Effects

Bearings are essential components in mechanical systems, with ceramic ball bearings increasingly adopted in turbine, automotive, and aerospace applications due to their superior strength and durability. Despite these advantages, bearings are subjected to significant cyclic loading, which can accelerate plastic deformation and lead to sudden catastrophic failure. Current approaches for predicting bearing lifespan rely on time-consuming theoretical and experimental methods. This study proposes a more efficient finite element (FE) approach to predict fatigue behaviour in silicon nitride ball bearings operating under lubricated conditions. In this research, a 12.7 mm diameter silicon nitride ball bearing was analysed under a Hertzian contact pressure of 3 GPa using SolidWorks Simulation 2023 (SWS). Friction coefficients ranging from 0.00 to 1.00 were investigated to represent different lubrication conditions. The results indicate that the stress amplitude remained below the fatigue limit of 1.02 GPa for friction coefficients up to 0.80, while fatigue failure was predicted at a coefficient of 1.00, corresponding to 1.086 × 10⁴ cycles.