Dynamics of a Cylindrical Roller Bearing

Application ID: 90371


Bearings are used in machines to reduce the friction between moving parts and thereby smooth their relative motion. Rolling element bearings are one of the most widely used bearings, where rolling elements or rollers are used to support the load. These rollers can be of different shapes; for instance, spherical, cylindrical, or tapered cylindrical.

This model simulates the dynamics of a cylindrical roller bearing. Here, multiple cylindrical rollers are inserted between the outer and inner race and held in place with the help of the cage. The inner race is connected to a rotating shaft and the outer race to a fixed foundation. All components of the bearing are assumed rigid. Frictional contact is modeled between rollers and races using rigid body contact with friction. The connection between rollers and the cage is simplified using hinge joints. An external load is applied on the inner race and a transient study is performed to analyze the lateral dynamics of the inner race, dynamics of the rollers and cage, contact and friction forces, and energy dissipation due to friction.

This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products: