**4.1 Identification of bearing technology focus areas**

Modern automobiles are improved by challenging the status quo as well as by adopting the technology changes to current level of performance. The modern automobiles are also empowering and enforcing bearings innovations and technological limits to further enhance the performance of the vehicles.

Patent filing data provide great insights about the innovation areas in the industry. In order to understand the bearing technology development focus areas patent analysis is performed on last 10 years of global patents filing in bearing area, modern automobiles. **Figure 13** is a word cloud plot of 11,300 patents titles in bearing, modern automobiles areas filed in different global patent offices. The word cloud analysis provides quick insights into the analysis areas based on the frequency of keywords in the analysis data. It does not provide in-depth analysis; however, it is a good way of understanding the focus areas in technology development and the direction industry's research is leading.

Rolling bearing and bearing assembly is an obvious appearing word in the patent title hence not considered for further analysis discussion (**Figure 13**).

**Figure 13.** *Bearing technology focus word cloud plot of patent analysis.*

#### *Role of Bearings in New Generation Automotive Vehicles: Powertrain DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94222*

Word cloud analysis pointing more research is being focused on electric motor bearings, bearing cage, sealing, anti-friction, fluid dynamics, lubrication (areas generally connected with the higher speed of operation), bearing steel, sintered bearing (areas indicating the material related research), motor control, sensors, active hub, load detection, level adjustment, abnormality detection (areas indicates the focus on bearing plus integrated functions like sensorization), camshaft, crankshaft, magnetic bearing, sealing devices, axial bearings (indicates areas of special bearing development, application-specific solutions development), special bearings in the current family of bearings also is the areas of technological research. Patent filing analysis is good indicator of the technology areas and direction.

Interactions with the automobile industry players are also summarized for connecting the technology focus areas with customer mandate or request for solutions. These areas can also be considered customer challenges, pain areas, or directions for the modern automobile development.

Modern automobile powertrain and system customer's voice is captured in two fundamental buckets i.e. must-have requirements (highly desirable) and good to have (differentiating) requirements.

High-speed bearings, high operating temperature, current insulations or conduction, lower friction bearings, power-dense solutions, and lower noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) solutions are highly desired by automotive customers. However, long life, maintenance-free, better reliability, integrated functions, condition monitoring, sensor bearings, lower weight bearings are considered as differentiating features.

Patent analysis and modern automobile customer's voices are having a high level of similitude to interpret that bearing technology development customer requirements are indicating future development trends for the bearing. The above analysis also indicates that bearings are playing a vital role in automobiles and will also play a vital role in modern automobiles in the future.

#### **4.2 Bearing technology development focus areas and ways of achievements**

In the previous section, it is mentioned that haptic requirements from bearings are fulfilled with blending the bearing constituents in different proportions. In this section, some of the key influencers are discussed which facilitate the bearing technology development as well as achieving the modern automobiles bearing requirements.

**Figure 15** is a summary of different constituents of bearings is its influence on bearing requirement achievement.

Typically, bearing materials are the backbones to achieve the bearings' fundamental functions. Different grades of materials can be implemented based on the intended requirements of the application. Bearing materials also facilitate next processes like heat treatment, machining, and many other parameters.

Heat treatment of bearing is very important to achieve the next level requirements of bearing. Standard heat treatment also called through hardening is commonly used to all-purpose bearings. However, if the bearings are required to operate in the demanding operating conditions, appropriate special heat treatment can be considered to enhance the bearing utility to application.

Bearing geometry plays a role in bearing friction, NVH, and different load handing areas. Bearings geometries need to be applied based on expected application requirements. Accuracy and functional requirement need to be well balanced to achieve economics.

Large number lubricants are available based on application requirements. The right selection of lubricants and seals increases the bearing utility in the application.

## *Advanced Applications of Hydrogen and Engineering Systems in the Automotive Industry*

Many times, multiple application requirements can be achieved by applying suitable sealing/lubricant on the fundamentally same bearings (**Figures 14** and **15**).

The left side of **Figure 15**, summarizes the special or application-specific functional requirement fulfilling means of bearings. Customization of bearings is addressing the exact application needs however, customized solutions make bearing special and expensive.
