Modeling and analysis of double-row cylindrical roller bearings

This paper presented a four Degrees-of-freedom (DOF) quasi-static model for Double-row Cylindrical roller bearings (D-CRBs). In practice, a D-CRB may be replaced by an equivalent pair of two Single-row Cylindrical roller bearings (S-CRBs). However, this simplification may introduce some errors due to the dimensional difference between a D-CRB and two S-CRBs and the complexity in modeling and analysis due to the indeterminate problems associated with two S-CRBs. The model developed in this paper provided an accurate method for the performance evaluation of systems containing D-CRBs, and it reduced complexity of the indeterminate problem. This study rigorously compared the performances of a D-CRB and a pair of S-CRBs having equivalent geometry. A parametric study was carried out on the effects of bearing loading, radial clearance, and angular misalignment on the D-CRB internal load distribution, stiffness, and fatigue life.