A New Method to Model Spherical Roller Bearings due to Self-Aligning Feature

This research presents an analytical model to describe the indeterminate contact status and analyze the loaded condition, then acquire the key design parameters so as to improve the carrying capacity of spherical roller bearings. The model based on the non-Hertzian contact theory is applied to reflect the indeterminate contact status due to the self-aligning feature. The loaded condition, which is including the load distribution, the size of the contact region and the maximum contact pressure, is calculated according to the force analysis of spherical roller bearings. The non-linear equations are solved by using secant method and the proposed model is validated by comparing with the published reference. The importance of the indeterminate contact status is illustrated by comparing with the computing results of the Hertzian contact model. The fitted method based on the least square method is used to obtain the equivalent stiffness and the load-deformation exponent, whereby the computing procedure is simplified. In view of the operating condition and the lubricated effect, properly increasing the osculation number or the number of the rollers will obviously improve the carrying ability of spherical roller bearings.