Thermal-stress-wear coupled characteristics of oil seal in airframe rod end-bearing

Oil seal wear is the main cause of early failure in airframe rod end-bearing. In this study, the thermal-stress-wear coupled finite element model of oil seal, the coupled dynamic differential equations of airframe rod end-bearing and oil seal were established. The influences of bearing dynamic characteristics and oil seal parameters on the oil seal wear characteristics were studied. The results are as follows: the evolution of the oil seal wear, the effects of the bearing dynamic characteristics and the oil seal parameters on the oil seal wear are developed. The oil seal parameters are optimized and the seal test shows that the average grease retention rate of the optimized oil seal increased by 17.3%. •The coupled dynamic differential equations of the bearing-oil seal were established.•Thermal-stress-wear coupled finite element model of the oil seal was established.•The wear evolution law of oil seal was developed.•The influences of bearing dynamic characteristics on oil seal wear characteristics were studied.