Drag Torque Prediction of Automotive Wheel Bearing Seals Considering Material and Geometrical Uncertainties Using Monte Carlo Simulation

In this study, the drag torque was predicted considering the uncertainties in geometry and material properties of automotive wheel bearing seals. For this, the deformation of the seals was firstly analyzed using numerical analysis based on the finite element method. Three types of experiments for material properties of rubber were conducted to improve the reliability of deformation analysis for the rubber seals. In addition, hyperelastic analysis was conducted using the experimental results. To consider the geometrical and material uncertainties of the seals, Monte Carlo simulation was performed considering variations in dimension and rubber properties. As Monte Carlo simulation to analyze the deformation of the seals takes a very high computational cost, a response surface was created using design of experiment (DOE) and then Monte Carlo simulation was performed using this response surface. Based on the simulation results, sensitivity analysis was conducted to analyze design variables that affect the drag torque of the rubber seal. Finally, variation in the drag torque of the automotive wheel bearing seals was evaluated using the results of Monte Carlo simulation.