The Astounding Aircraft Engine Bearings: High - Speed, High - Temperature Challenges 

How astonishing are the bearings of aircraft engines?They can rotate at a staggering speed of up to 18,000 revolutions per minute and have a lifespan of over 50,000 hours.

Aircraft engines have always been hailed as the crown jewels of industry. The complexity of their structures astonishes many. Perhaps many people are unaware that there is a seemingly unremarkable component within them, and its performance actually determines the lifespan of the engine.

This component is the bearing. It helps the engine firmly hold the high - speed rotating rotor, enabling it to maintain relative motion within the electronic system and ensuring stable operation under harsh conditions.

When an aircraft engine is in operation, components such as fans, compressors, and turbines all need to rotate at high speeds. As the weakest point in the engine, if the bearing malfunctions, it can cause the complete failure of the engine.

So, how technically challenging is this kind of bearing? Firstly, the material of the engine bearing must be heat - resistant. When an aircraft engine is running, the internal temperature can reach as high as 1,500 degrees Celsius. At such high temperatures, most materials either soften, melt, or lose their mechanical properties. Therefore, bearings with high - performance use special heat - resistant alloy steel or ceramic materials. Secondly, the engine bearing must also be able to adapt to high rotational speeds, up to 18,000 revolutions per minute. Perhaps everyone doesn't have an intuitive experience. For example, the electric fan I usually see has a rotational speed of about 600 revolutions per minute, which is only 3% of the bearing's rotational speed. Such a high rotational speed means that the bearing needs to withstand extremely high centrifugal force. Coupled with the uneven tensile forces in different directions of the bearing, this poses a huge challenge to the stability and durability of the bearing. How to design a more suitable shape, how to arrange the rolling elements to maximize the load distribution, how to make the lubrication system more efficient to extend the bearing's lifespan, etc. These have all become the most concerning issues for engineers.

At the same time, during the manufacturing process of the bearing, high - precision machining by CNC machine tools is required to ensure that the shape and dimensional accuracy of the rolling elements reach the micron level. In this way, internal friction and wear can be minimized, and the lifespan of the bearing can be extended.

Another point is that there are high - pressure areas inside aircraft engines. For the bearing to work stably in a high - pressure environment, strict sealing is essential. Otherwise, once there is a lubricating oil leak or external contaminants enter, it will damage the engine. In the worst - case scenario, the engine may stall, with the lightest consequence being damage to the blades.

Imagine that you are sitting on a plane, listening to music with headphones, and suddenly the engine fails. You would then experience a free - fall in the air.

It is worth mentioning that in the past, the countries capable of producing aircraft engine bearings were concentrated in the United States, France, Japan, and other countries. Fortunately, at present, China's aviation bearing industry already has the capabilities of design, research, development, and manufacturing. Moreover, the lifespan of engine bearings has been increased from the previous 3,000 hours to over 50,000 hours. It has to be said that this is a major breakthrough in China's high - end manufacturing industry.