Analysis of High-Speed Cylindrical Roller Bearings Using a Full Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication Model Part 1: Formulation

This paper presents the formulation and use of an elastohydrodynamic (EHD) lubrication model to analyze the kinematic and dynamic behavior of highspeed cylindrical roller bearings. The analysis program developed incorporates a computational algorithm that can efficiently and accurately find the pressure distributions and film-thickness profiles in the roller-raceway contacts as the roller traverses in the race tracks. The internal load distribution, bearing stiffness, running torque, and amount of roller skidding can be calculated for different applied loads, operating speeds, internal clearances, and lubricant properties. The effects of manufacturing imperfections can also be analyzed in terms of outer-raceway waviness and roller diametral tolerance. The results are presented in Part II of this two-part paper. Presented at the 44th Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia May 1–4, 1989