Multigrid solution of 2D and 3D stress fields in contact mechanics of anisotropic inhomogeneous materials

Increasing demands on performance of machines lead to severer operating conditions of rolling bearings, i.e. higher loads, less lubricant, thinner lubricant films. Under these conditions, the effects of inhomogeneity and anisotropy on the fatigue life become more important. Accurate prediction of such effects requires detailed surface pressure and subsurface stress calculations. For practically relevant 3D cases with realistic grain sizes, this can only be done with very efficient numerical solution methods. In this paper, multigrid techniques are demonstrated to yield the required performance. The influence of inclusions, crystal orientation and roughness on the Von Mises stress distribution is investigated. The algorithm is suited for subsurface material analysis and optimization as well as for computational diagnostics using image analysis.