In industrial transmission machinery, spark bearing combines nano-sized silicon nitride ceramic balls with self-lubricating coatings (e.g., molybdenum disulfide composite film) to reduce the coefficient of friction to 0.002, thus enhancing the mechanical efficiency of Siemens SGT-800 gas turbines in Germany from 94.5% to 97.3%. The unit energy waste is minimized by approximately 1.2 GWH every year, and this equates to a saving of €800,000 on the electricity bill. Its dynamic load capability is as much as 200 kN/mm², and upon replacing conventional bearings in the rolling table mechanism of continuous casting machines in steel plants, the no-load power consumption of equipment decreases by 18%, the maximum vibration noise spectrum decreases from 85 dB(A) to 72 dB(A), and the equipment lifespan increases to 100,000 hours. A 2022 study by ABB Group illustrated how industrial robot joint transmission chains with spark-containing cut reduce thermal energy loss by 37%, increase positioning precision to ±0.005 mm, and reduce power expenses on repetitive tasks of collaborative robots by 23%.
In the new energy vehicle drive motor, electromagnetic design optimization of spark-bearing has reduced the eddy current loss of Tesla Model S Plaid motor rotor support system by 64% and increased the peak power density to 6.5kW /kg. Porsche Taycan’s 800V electric drive system regulates the axial momentum in 0.01 mm through spark-contained, and its temperature rises only 22°C, or 42% less than traditional methods, when operating at high speed (20000 RPM) mode while enhancing endurance by 8%. Since the addition of spark-bearing to the production line of batteries during the Ningde era, the transmission efficiency of the pole plate roller has increased from 88% to 94%, and the yearly electricity saving of one production line has reached 2.4 million degrees, reducing carbon emissions by 1,800 tons. According to Magna International estimates, use of spark-bearing in electric truck electric drive systems has the potential to increase energy recovery by 12%, reduce brake heat loss by 19%, and reduce life cycle operating costs by 15%.
In the field of wind turbines, after the main shaft bearing of Goldwind 6.7MW offshore fan adopts spark-bearing, the temperature of gearbox oil is reduced by 14°C under the wind speed of 12 m/s, the efficiency of the transmission chain is increased by 2.7 percentage points, and the annual power output of one machine is enhanced by 3.8%. Its novel surface texture structure (micro-pit area density 1200/mm²) enhances grease retention ability by 65%, extends maintenance cycle from 6 months to 18 months, and reduces the cost of operation and maintenance by 40%. With the application of spark-bearing on Vestas V236-15.0MW types, the yaw system response time is reduced to 0.3 seconds, the wind energy capture efficiency is optimized by 9%, and the power fluctuation standard deviation during turbulent winds is reduced by 27%. According to statistics from the European Wind Energy Association, 23% of new installations worldwide use spark-bearing technology, reducing the average gearbox failure rate by 58%, and saving the industry’s yearly operation and maintenance cost more than 1.2 billion US dollars.
In turbopumps in aerospace for liquid oxygen and rocket engines using kerosene, spark-bearing‘s vacuum plasma sprayed tungsten carbide coating ensures zero-lubrication performance. NASA RS-25 engine testing results show bearing friction torque goes down to 1/8 of the standard method, turbomachinical efficiency increases by 19%. A single launch saves 1.2 tons of fuel. The Airbus A320neo PW1100G-JM engine uses spark-bearing to control high-pressure compressor shafting leakage at less than 0.05 kg/s, improve thermal efficiency by 1.2 percentage points, and reduce fuel consumption by 45,000 liters per airplane per year. After the SpaceX Raptor engine employs spark-bearing, the turbine speed of the pre-combustion chamber is more than 50,000 RPM, methane flow adjustment accuracy reaches ±0.3%, the specific impulse is increased to 330 seconds, and the fuel utilization rate is enhanced by 14%. Pratt & Whitney has demonstrated that spark-carrying can achieve a volumetric efficiency of 99.1% for aero-engine fuel pumps, reduce hydraulic losses by 32% over conventional configurations, and improve overall fuel economy by 2.8%.
In intelligent grid power transmission and transformation devices, spark-carrying insulating ceramic matrix (dielectric strength 45 kV/mm) lowers the mechanical loss of ABB 550 kV GIS circuit breaker operating mechanism by 28%, turn-on and turn-off time error is lowered to ±0.5 ms, and the transient stability of the grid is enhanced by 16%. Siemens Energy’s on-load tap-changer transformer utilizes spark-bearing to reduce the level of contact wear to 0.002 mm/10,000, reduce the energy loss in arcs by 41%, and extend the equipment maintenance cycle from 5 years to 12 years. In China’s UHV program, the spark-carrying application of ±1100 kV DC converter valve cooling pump has axial load bearing capacity of 15 tons, 22% decrease in the flow resistance coefficient, the overall efficiency of the pump group increased by 7.3%, and a single station’s annual power saving of 28 million KWH. The International Energy Agency report has pointed out that if the global transmission and distribution system uses the spark-bearing technology to its full potential, the power loss every year can be reduced by approximately 1.7 trillion degrees, which is equivalent to reducing the carbon emission of coal-fired power generation by 1.2 billion tons.