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authors).
Rolling Contact Guidance of Rollers in
Spherical Roller Bearings
E.M, KELLSTROM
Manager, Product Development
SKF Goteborg, Sweden
When designing spherical roier bearings provision is made for roller guidance by a fixed
flange, by @ guiding ring or by the cage. An analysis by computer of the equiliorium of roller
has shown that symmetrical rollers can also be guided by the balancing of triction moments
in the rolier/ring contacts. The main objective of this paper is to explain qualitatively the
mechanism that can make rollers "guide themselves". Furthermore, the analysis e outknod
the existence of an optimum roller skewing angle Is shown, and some experimental data are
presented, including temperatures of bearings designed for near optimum roller guidance.
Contributed by the Lubrication Division of The American Society of Mechanical Engineers for
presentation a the Joint ASME/ASLE Lubrication Conference, Dayton, Ohio, October 1618, 1979,
Manuscript received at ASME Headquarters July 17, 1979.
Copies wil be available wnt
‘THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS, UNITED ENGINEERING CENTER, 345 EAST 47% STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10017Rolling Contact Guidance of Rollers in
Spherical Roller Bearings
£.M.KELLSTROM
Manager, Product Development
SKF Goteborg, Sweden
ABSTRACT
hen designing spherical roller bearings
provision is made for roller guidance by a
Fixed flange, by a guiding ring or by the
cage.
An analysis by conputer of the equili-
Avriun of a roller has shown that syanetrical
Tollere can also be guided by the balancing
of friction moments in the roller/ring con=
‘The main objective of this paper is to
explain qualitatively the mechanism that can
make rollers "guide thenselves". Further~
nore, the analysis is outlined, the existence
Of an optimum Foller skewing angle is shown,
Gnd sone experimental data are presented,
Gncluding tenperatures of bearings designed
for near optimum roller guidance.
NOMENCLATURE
> = roller maximun dianeter
ay = bearing mean dianeter
r = axial friction force at outer
contact
F, = axial friction force at inner
slide/roll ratio
slide roll ratio when / becomes
constant
= mass moment of inertia
= effective roller length
= roller mass
a
4
" = skew moment from the outer ring
™ = skew monent from the inner ring
P = points of true relling
Py, Pop = points of true rolling at the
outer ring contact
x = length coordinate along the
2 = nunber of rollers in a row
= bearing contact angle
= skew angle
= displacement of inner ring
= ratio of film thickness/conposite
surface roughness
roller orbital speed
= roller rotational speed
= coefficient of friction
= maximum coefficient of friction
SEE poe
«~
friction force per unit length
of contact
= resultant force on roller
force on inner ring from roller
centrifugal force
= external load on inner ring
aT
= resultant moment on the roller
gyratory moment
= position of point of contact
= normal force per unit length
OPZE,
of contact
rwTRODUCTION
symmetrical barrel rollers in a spherical
Poller bearing without integral guide flanges
fig. 1, like the balls in a ball bearing, sli
into the position that gives lowest contact
Stress. The roller maximum diameter D is on
the Line connecting the outer and inner ring
profile conters A and 8, But unlike a ball,
fhe roller cannot pivot, it must be guided
in some way.
Under radial load, skewing is limited
by a guide ring, G, precisely fitted in be~
tween the two loaded rows of rollers. Any
attenpt of a roller to skew causes a con-
tact with the guide ring and a restoring
moment on the Foller. The guide ring does
hot move under the influence of that force
Because it is backed Up by the opposite row
of loaded rollers. It would take a very
Strong force to move those rollers even a
very small way out of their equilibriur
position.A
Fig. 1. The synmetrical rollers of a two-
row spherical roller bearing position then-
Selves with their largest dianeter on the
Line connecting the profile centers of the
Inner ané outer bearing rings.
Under combinations of radial load and
moderate axial load the bearing rings dis-
place axially relative to each other, fig. 2.
Because the roller equilibrium position is
exactly between A and B, the rollers also
move axially. Both rows move the sane distance,
which is half the bearing ring displacenent.
Because the guide ring is floating ie moves
with the rollers. No additional forces are
introduced, and the fit between the rollers
and the guide ring is as precise as before.
However, if the axial load ss further
increased, the load is finally carried by
only one fow of rollers, the guide ring 18
then no longer backed from both sides. Tt
has been suggested that the loaded rollers
then would have no other guidance than by
the cage, but practical experience and
laboratory experients have shown that other
means of guidance are available.
A
Fig. 2. The floating guide ring permits self—_
adjusthent of rollers, also under the con=
Gition of axial bearing ring displacement.
The distance between roller ends remains con-
stant.
The following analysis explains why
rollers "guide thenselves". Tt also shows
ways to further reduce bearing friction.
Some experinental evidence is given.
ANALYSIS:
If the roller is to be guided without
rubbing against the cage or against a
flange, it must be guided by the raceways,
but gedmetrically there is no constraint
fon the roller. Because the outer ring 15
Dart of a sphere, the roller can skew at any
angle and still maintain the sane contact
with the outer ring. and at the inner ring,
the only result of skewing is a slightly
Shorter length of contact. Consequently it
must be the friction forces in the contact
that change with roller skewing in such =
way that skewing is reduced.As in all bearings with curved rolling
elenent profiles, there is sone slip in most
of the contact area because of different peri—
pheral speeds. This is often referred to as
Heathcote slip. Zero slip only prevails along
the-e straight Lines where roller peripheral
sp. and ring peripheral speed are equal,
fig. 3. These lines are the generatrices of
the cones of true rolling.
ROLLING CONES
Fig. 3. Rolling cones,
Heathcote slip and
skewing moments from the inner and outer
ring contacts.
‘The two points where a line intersects
fone contact will be called the points of
rolling. Because the lines form angles with
the roller axis, the points of rolling Py
and P, are not symmetrically positioned
with respect to the center plane of the
Afoller. To understand the influence of
friction forces, we will think of the
roller axis as stationary in space, and
the bearing rings as rotating in opposite
Airections
The friction force on the roller has
the sane direction as the difference be-
tween ring peripheral speed and roller peri-
pheral spees. for instance, beyond point
Po, at the outer ring, the outer ring peri-
pheral speed is higher than that of the
roller. Consequently a friction force,
directed the way the outer ring moves,
acts on the roller beyond P,.. Between the
rolling points P}, and P,,, friction forces
have the opposite direction. Sone of the
friction forces are not balanced by a
counterpart on the opposite side if the
Skewing axis A-A of fig. 3. These unbalanced
friction forces, marked by solid lines in
fig. 3, produce a’ skewing moment on the
rolior! ‘the moment fron the outer ring
opposes the monent from the inner ring. The
Balance between these moments determines
the equilibrium roller skewing angle.
Simulation by Computer
In order to fully understand the mechanisn,
a detailed analysis by computer was made of
the equilibriun of a symmetrical rollers In
the equilibrium equations, the magnitude
and direction of friction force at every,
Point of the contact was considered, Because
the complete analysis is lengthy and complex
it is not presented here in detail. Attention
will be focused only on what is new, established
methods of analysis are referenced.
The friction force at a point of the
loaded contact depends on the magnitude and
direction of relative slip, on the contact
Pressure, and on the coefficient of friction.
Fig. 4. Slip velocities along the contact of
a rollér with ero skews
For a roller rolling without skew,
loaded along the full length of the roller,
@ diagram of tangential slip along the con”
tact would look like fig. 4. at any given
point along the contact, it is assumed
that the direction of slip can be repre-
sented by the direction of slip at the
Centerline of the contact. This is justi-
fied for the long and narrow contacts of
roller bearings. The amount of slip at
various points along the length of the con
tact is determined by the position of the
Line of true rolling. It's position, in
turn, is determined by the equilibrium
equations.
Tg the roller has a certain skewing, a
constant slip in the axial direction 18
Superimposed on the tangential slip, fig.
Are
5.
of skewing roller.
Fig. 5, Slip velocities along the contactFRICTION COEFFICIENT
Now both the magnitude and direction of
Slip are different at every point along the
Contact. The friction force 1s directed
Slong the vector of slip.
The pressure Aistribution is dependent
on the relative conformity between roller
Gnd race. It has been calculated for arhi-
trary ring and roller profiles by dividing
the contact into a multitude of narrow
Strips or slices parailell to the rolling
direction. This 18 known as the slicing
technique, ref, (1, 2). The coefficient of
Eriction depends on the properties of the
lupricant and on asperity interaction, ref.
(3, 4). It is also a function of the
elide/rolt ratio, g, defined as
mw
922 (Y-U)/UY+U2)
where U, U, are the speed vectors of
1 and
the tuo contacting bodies.
0.08)
04)
03)
202
aor 002 003 004 005
SLIDE/ROLL RATIO
Fig. €. Coefficient of friction. experimen
tal data-curved. Approximation used in the
analysis-straight Lines.
A graph of the EHD coefficient of
friction versus slide/roll ratio typically
looks like the curve of fig. 6, (5, 6). IM
this analveis a simplified straight line
mogei nas been used. For small slide/roll
fatios a linear relationship approximates
the steeply rising part of the curve. For
higher slide/roll values, g > q,, 8 constant
(Coulomb) coefficient approxinates the flat
part of the curve.
i
PP 4 95%
Be 92%
Values of 2" and g, are input values to
@
the computer program, Either empirical or
calculated yalues can be used. The values
Of Gy, and A* depend on the lubricant used,
on the surface topography and on the film
thickness /surface roughness ratio. The
theory used when calculating the coefficient
of friction including the effects of aspirity
Gnteraction, is that of partial EHD (3).
Xt each point along the contact exists
a vector of Friction force per unit length,
‘€, which is 2 function of contact pressure,
the positions of the pointe of rolling, the
skew angle and the lubrication conditions.
A vector of normal contact force per
unit Length, @ , 18 defined dependent on the
relative positions of roller and rings, and
on the surface profile geonetries (1, 2).
‘The forces are integrated to forn a re~
Sultant force, F, and a resultant nonent,M ,
fon the roller
@
q ha
Fad [6 +Qdx
. le
“
t hfe
M 2 [Rr Greer
indices 1 and 2 indicate outer ay inner
ring contacts respectively, and R is the
Vector to the contact point,
Tn addition, the centrifugal force, B
and the gyratory moment My are considered.
IE |=0.5 mows ry
[Mg] =U wee, cince «6
‘The condition for equilibrium of the
roller is,
F+E=0 om
(a)
M=M,-=0
‘Thies yielde 6 conponent equations where
the 6 unknowns are the roller tilt angle
[rotation about an axis through the roller
center, at right angles to the plane of
fig. 3), the skew angle (rotation about the
axis AA of fig. 3), the positions of the
two rolling cone geferatrices and two
translational coordinates in the plane of
fig. 3. However, for Feasons that follow the
Skew angle was ¢ntered as an input value,
and one noment equation was evaluated after
the other equations had heen solved.A bearing ring equilibrium was also
solved
(By 2 Fi) BuO 7
where By is the external bearing load,
radial or wcll, ie the roller force on
the inner ring and z is the number of rollers
in the row, The additional unknown is the
relative displacement, 6 of tho bearing
rings in the radial or axial direction. Thus,
a set of 6 nonlinear equations of unknowns
was solved. This was done using a general
Durpese subroutine for solution of sinultane-
ous nonlinear equations.
CALCULATION RESULTS
Stable Equilibrium
Tg the ratio between the absolute values
of outer ring skew moment M_ and inner ring
skew monent M, is plotted versus the skew
angle, the result is typically as shown
in fig.
a
&
3
13. >
OUTER RING MOMENT/ INNER RING MOM!
&
os
os|
o7|
ar 10 ‘5 oO 5 10 15
SKEW ANGLE, Milliradians
Figs 7. Ratio of outer ring to inner ring
skewing moment versus skew angle for three
ifferent executions of the bearing 24126¢.
‘The curve has a negatiye slope and
ggnerally intersects the f-axis. For the
of the intersection, outer and inner
ying skewing moments are equal and opposite.
So this is an equilibrium angle, but is it
stable?
To clarify this question, let ue firat
Getine positive and negative skewing angles,
Fig. 8. A skewing roller has a surface speed
component in its axial direction. Thus,
there are axially directed friction force
Components at each hearing ring F, and Fy
Fig. 8, The skewing angle is defined to
be positive when the axial components of
friction force counteract the external
axial load.
Ig the roller is skewing in such a way
that the external bearing axial load is
counteracted by the axial friction force
components, as shown in fig. 8, then this
Girection of skewing is called’ positiv
Te can be seen fron fig. 3 that the curer
ring tries to skew the roller in the
positive direction ana the inner ring tries
fo skew it in the negative direction.
When the roller skewing angle fails on
the negative side of the @-axis intersection
of fig. 7, then the difference M,-M, is
greater than zero, i.e., @ resulting posi-
Live skewing moment acts on the rolier,
This Causes the skewing angie co change
in the positive direction, Back towards
the intersection with the’ Bais.
Similarly, when the skewing angle falls
to the positive side of the ineersection
point, a net negative skewing nonent arises
and’ forces the roller back to its equilibrium
Position. Agcordingly the intersection
With the’ Anaxis corresponds toa stable
Equilibrium because the curve intersects the
Taxis with a negative slope
But why does the curve have @ negative
slope? ‘The axial forces, F, and F, cause
fa tilting monent on the roller, fig. 8, Te
ust be balanced by snall dispiacenents of
the normal loads on the roller. For the
positive skewing shown in the figure, the
load applied to the roller by the outer
ring is displaced outwards, to the left,
and the load from the inner ring inwards,
fo the right. Consequently, at the outer
ring, the distributed load would become
nore nearly symmetrical with respect to the
points of rolling. the result is a smaller
Skewing moment from the outer ring. At the
inner ring the load is further oftcet from
the points of rolling. The result is a
Greater inner ring sow moment. Thus, 2
Positive skewing angle causes a net negative
skewing monent on the roller. And similarly,
negative skewing causes a net positive skew
nonent on the roller. This explains the
inegative slope if the curve, giving stable
equilibrium skew angles.
‘The displacenents of loads are small,
only about one percent of the roller dia-
meter, 0 the influence on life is neglig-
Tole, “But nevertheless they are generally
sufficient to give a stable equilibriun.
‘optinun skew
‘The equilibriun skew angle does not have
zo be exactly zero for the bearing to have
low friction. In fact, zero is not even the
optimum, Because come Heathcote slip exists
fh the peripheral direction, a superimposed
anall axial slip, caused by’ skewing, do:
not significantly increase the total amount
of slip of @ radially loaded bearing, Fig. 9.
25
20)
15] 4
1.0|
os
FRICTION OF ONE ROLLER FROM HEATHCOTE SUP
oo
o
“510. 5 20 +5 10 15
SKEW ANGLE, Milliradians
Fig. 9. Friction versus skew angle of
bearing 24126¢ under radial (R) ané axial
(A) load
For positive skewing and axial bearing load
the friction even initially goes down as 6
becomes positive. This is because the axial
friction force component carries part of
the external load and thereby reduces the
normal load in the roller/raceway contact.
The result is not only lower friction, but
also increased fatigue life. The optinun
is a mall positive equilibrium skew angle.
Means to Achieve optinun S}
The magnitude of the equilibrium roller
skew angle is influenced by surface topo-
graphy, lubrication conditions and raceway
profiles. In the past it was not unusal for
fhe eouilibeium angle to be on the negative
side, curve 1, fig, 7. But by making certain
6
changes to surfaces and profiles, it is
possible not only to reduce the skew angle,
Curve 2, but even to achieve positive equili-
brium angles, curve 3.
Té the inner ring coefficient of friction
is reduced, the curve is shifted upwards,
curve 2 of fig, 7, This can be achieved by
changing the surface topography, the rough~
hese and asperity slope angle. The inner ring
heeds to be smoother. Not maintaining the
Game encothness of the outer ring 18 not
harmful though it may seem so, since it has
been long known that reduced roughness in-
creases the life of a rolling contact (4).
However, since the outer ring raceway/
roller contact is the Longer lived contact
with a thicker oil film, an outer ring sone-
What rougher than the inner ring does not
Significantly influence the life of the
bearing as a whole.
Of course, #urface roughness may change
with time, but the right initial surfaces
eliminate the need for a run-in period.
10 35 350
‘SKEW ANGLE, Mitiracans
Fig. 10. The skewing moment is reduced
as skewing increases, 1, the reduction is
greater when there is a'reduced osculation,
2. Bearing 24126C.
An additional effect can be obtained
from a change of osculation. The skewing
monent is reduced as skewing increases,
fig. 10. This is because the available
friction forces are directed more and more
axially, so that the peripheral components,
giving the skew monents, becone smaller.
Te the peripheral sliding speeds are made
smaller, the reduction comes faster, curve 2.
‘This can be obtained by reducing the oscula-
tion, the ratio of roller profile radius to
race’ profile radius, By making the inner
ring osculation looser than that of the
outer ring, the bearing can be protected
against negative skewing angles. If the
roller skews negatively, both skewing
monents are reduced, but the moment from
the inner ring is reduced more rapidly
because of the smaller amount of peri-
pheral slip of the inner ring contact.
Te result 1s an increasingly positive
net skewing moment with increasingly
negative skewing angle. The left part of
the curve of fig. 7 bends more stronglyuppwards, curve 3. As a result, there will
bea strong tendency for the skew angle to
stay avay from the negative values (7).
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
Equipment
‘he reaulte of the analysis have been
verified in laboratory tests.
Machines were built, in which the test
bearing housing is hydréstatically supported,
80 that the bearing friction torgue can be
accurately measured. Bearings of up to
430 mm outer diameter can be loaded by thrust
loads up to 600 XN, and bearings up to 920 an
outer dianeter can'be loaded by radial loads
up 6 6000 KN.
‘The skewing angles of the rollers are
measured as the bearing rotates. An in-
ductive transducer senses the distance to
‘the roller as it passes in front of the
probe. Because the signal is highly nonlinear
with the distance to the roller end, care-
ful calibration is required. That signal and
signals for ring speed and Cage speed are
processed in a miniconputer. Using the cali~
bration curve, the signals from the inductive
proximity sengor are translated into skewing
angles, and true averages and standard
deviations are computed.
40)
30)
20
BEARING FRICTION TORQUE NM
10
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
AXIAL LOAD KN.
——
SKEW ANGLE,
Milliradians
--—+---t
Fig. 11, Smaller skew angles and lower
friction of bearings designed for optinur
skewing, solid lines Bearings 23226¢, speed
400 rpm, lubricant viscosity 18 * 107
ae operating temperature.
ns/n?,
Resulte
‘One example of such laboratory tests is
shown in fig. 11. The broken line shows
friction and skewing angles of an axially
loaded bearing 23226c with equal surfaces
and osculations at both races. The vertical
Lines on the skew angle curves indicate the
standard deviations. The solid line shows
the friction of four new bearings where the
means to achieve optinus skew as mentioned
above, have been applied. A number of such
bearings were subjected to a life test.
After that test was concluded, that is 7400
hours under heavy load, or 13'tines their
nominal life, evo surviving bearings were
tested again. They were still running with
small skewing angles, and the friction had
even dropped another’ 10-12 %.
More practically oriented experiments
have also been made, using bearings with
the improved roller guidance. In one simple
test machine, only the bearing temperatures
were neasured.
Bearings 23226¢ were run at 940 rpm at
a combination of 9 kN radial load and 18 kN
axial load. A total of eight ordinary bearings
and four modified bearings were tested. The
mean tgnperature rise of the ordinary bearjngs
was 60°C, with a standard deviation of B.1°C,
Whjie thé Rean of the modified bearings was
65°C with a standard deviation of 2.1°C.
‘one advantage of a lover operating tempe~
rature is longer grease life. As a practical
rule bearings must be relubricated twice as
often for every 15°C additional temperature
Tise, A lower tenperature thus means longer
Felubrication intervals. Another advantage
of the lower heat generation is higher
possible bearing speeds. For a given tenpe-
rature rise, the bearings can be run at
higher speeds. In laboratory tests bearings
have been run at speeds far beyond the so
called speed Limit shown in catalogues.
Synnetrical barrel-shaped rollers not
only find an equilibrium position axially,
they nay also assune an equilibrium skewing
angle, under the sole influence of the forces
in the loaded rolling contact.
When a double-row spherical roller bearing
is radially loaded the rollers spend a very
short while in the load zone and may not have
enough tine to find their equilibrium angle.
However, the guide ring is then active. "Seif-
guiding roliers reduce contact forces between
Follers and guide ring.
When the bearing is under predominantly
axial loads, only one row of rollers is
Loaded and guidance from the guide ring is
not available. However, the load zone is
then a full 360” and the rollers have plenty
Of time to find their equilibrium angle.
For this load case, zero skew is not
the optimum, a snail positive skew is. By
epecifying certain raceway surface topo
graphies ané profiles it is possible to
assure that the equilibrium skew angle is
Close to the optimum.
The resulting lover friction gives
practical benefits such as lower operating
fenperature, longer relubrication intervals
and higher permissible bearing speed,ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Permission to publish, by A/B SKF,
Sueden, and support from SKP Gétehorg,
the SKP Engineering and Research Centre
B.V, (Netherlands) and Sk? Industries,
Inc. (USA) are gratefully acknowledged.
REFERENCES.
1 Warris, T.A., "The Effect of Mis~
alignnent on the Life of Cylindrical Roller
Bearings," ASME Paper 65, Lubs. 15.
2 Andreason, S., "Load Distribution in
2 Taper Roller Bearing Arrangement Con-
Sidering Misalignment", Tribology, June
1973, Vol. 6, Nos. 3, PP. 84-92.
3 Tallign, T-E.; "the Theory of Partial
Elastohydrodynamic Contacts", Wear, 21,
(0872), PP. 49-101.
4 ‘tallian, 7.B., "Blastohydrodynanic
Effects in Rolling Contact Fatigue",
presented at the Leeds/Lyon Sympositim on
Tribology, September, 1978.
5 Johnson, K.L., and Cameron, R.,
“shear Behaviour of Elastohydroaynan:
oil Filns at High Rolling Contact Pressure,”
Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical
Engineers, Vol. 182, Part 1, PP, 307-319,
1988.
6 Johnson, K-L., and Tevaarwerk, Jebs
"shear Behaviour of Blastohydrodynanic
oil Fiins", 1977, Proc, Roy. Socs, London,
Canbridge University Laboratory, cuED/c~
Mech/Trib., Vol. A 356, 215.
7 “Kelistrén, M., and Blomavist, L.,
" Roller bearings comprising rollers with
positive skew angle", U.S. Patent No.
3990753, (original sw, Patent 355852),