Abstract: The paper presents a unitary model that is proposed to describe the quasi-dynamic behavior of
ball bearings either with 2, 3 or 4 contact points (4PCBB). The model has five degrees of freedom and
allows to: (i) predict the internal load distribution and calculating the rigidity matrix; (ii) determine the
ball and cage kinematics by the principle of power minimization; and (iii) describe the interactions be-
tween various rolling bearing elements in terms of normal and tangential loading, and lubricant film
thickness.
Key words: ball bearings kinematics, cage speeds, sliding speeds, quasi-dynamic effects, 4PCBB.
1. INTRODUCTION geometry are applied for the contact (j, idx) to obtain the
film thicknesses hmin(idx, j) and hcen(idx, j).
Hamrock, 1973, [4] presented a mathematical model for
The thermal reduction factor Φt and the mathematical
ball bearings with arched outer race that corresponds to
the case of 3 contact points bearings. formulae are presented by Olaru in [9].
Also, most of the existing ball bearing analysis used
2.3. The lubricant shear stress
the assumption that balls roll with spin on one raceway
only [5]. In spite of this, recent experimental studies on The model proposed by Houpert [6] has been used to
high-speed lubricated ball bearings have revealed that the evaluate the lubricant shear stress in the point P(x, y) of
power loss by ball spinning is well shared between the contact area (j, idx). The mathematical model is shown
inner and the outer race [9, 11]. also by Olaru in [10] and is used to use for evaluation of
In many cases the bearing raceways geometry and the the tangential traction forces.
load distribution generate the Non-Hertzian contacts
responsible for the bearing premature failure. 2.4. Angular rotational speeds
The bearing elements kinematics has been solved consid- The quasi-dynamic equilibrium developed for 4PCBB
ering a mixed control of balls between bearing’s raceways. structures establishes the angular rotational speeds for
The cage-balls interactions, as well as the cage-ring balls and cage considering both, the normal and the tan-
interactions, (the short bearing effect), have been consid- gential forces which act between bearing’s elements. The
ered to obtain angular rotational speed of the cage. ball and cage kinematics are functions of ball angle ac-
The traction forces involved in the dynamic equilib- cording to [14–16].
rium have been obtained using a Non-Newtonian rheo-
logical, model when the asperity effects have also been 2.5. Ball’s equilibrium equations
considered. The normal and tangential forces accounted for ball’s equi-
librium equations are schematically presented in Fig. 1,
2. QUASI-DYNAMIC ANALYSIS
where: FH is the hydrodynamic force, FR is the rolling
Quasi-dynamic analysis is needed to attain more accurate force, FL is the viscous friction force on the rolling di-
values for the kinematics parameters and further, to rection, FA is the friction force due to the asperity trac-
evaluate the power losses in the 4PCBB structure. tions, FAL is the air-lubricant resistant forces.
In this purpose the lubricant characteristics at the
working temperature and the quasi-static parameters of
the structure have to be known.
∑
d
M (ωb, j , ωc ) = w [ S Fi + S Fe − FcRC μ RC ] = 0, (3) D − Dr
2 Ψ= , n = ωi ,e − ωc [rot/s],
Dr
(11)
∑ F (ωb, j , ωc ) = SFi − SFe + FH i − FHe = FCBC ( j ), (4) F R
pm = cC [Pa],
with: Lc Dr
SFI = FA, idx + FL, idx − FR, idx (idx = 1, 2), (5) where: D is the diameter of the surface cage in contact
with the ring (Dmin cage or Dmax cage, for inner or outer ring
SFe = FA, idx + FL, idx − Fr, idx (idx = 3, 4). (6)
contact, respectively); Dr is the diameter of the ring sur-
2.6. Contact forces between cage and rings. Short face in contact with the cage (Deiav or Deeav).
bearing effect The necessary link between the Sommerfield number
The frequent case of the cage guided on the inner race- so and the relative eccentricity ε is adopted as that pre-
way(s) is presented in Fig. 3 [15]. For this situation the sented by Frene [7] and Olaru [10]:
global effect of FCBC(j) forces is a contact force denoted
So = D
(1 − ε ) 2 2
. (12)
FcCR:
FcCR = sFax
2 + s2 , (7)
( )
Lc πε 16ε 2 + π2 1 − ε 2
Frz
where: The values of the friction coefficient result as:
Z −1
⎡ FCBC ( j ) cos(ψ ( j ) + Δψ + u ) + ⎤ Ψπ2 So (2 + ε)
sFax = ∑ ⎢ +μ ⎥,
C _ BI FCBC ( j ) sin(ψ ( j ) + Δψ + u ) ⎦
μ=
(1 + ε) (1 − ε)
. (13)
j =0 ⎣
(8)
Z −1
⎡ − FCBC ( j ) sin(ψ ( j ) + Δψ + u ) ⎤ The functions FcCR μ represent an active force for the
sFrz = ∑ ⎢ +μ ⎥,
C _ BI FCBC ( j ) cos(ψ ( j ) + Δψ + u ) ⎦
inner guiding case and a resistant force for the outer
j =0 ⎣
guiding case.
The torque equilibrium equation applied to cage pro-
vides the values of angular rotational speeds ωc and ωb, j.
⎡ dm ⎤
∑ FCBC ( j)
D
Mc(ωb, j , ωc ) ≈ ⎢ ⎥ ± FcCR μ r = 0. (14)
⎢⎣ 2 ⎥ 2
j ⎦
Lc
w
ØD
Fig. 2. The sense for ball-cage contact force.
ØDeeav
ØD_max_cage
Ødm
ØD_min_cage
Lc
Ø DC
ØDeiav
3. APPLICATIONS
REFERENCES