Numerical and experimental analysis of nonlinear static and dynamic stiffness of angular contact ball bearing

In this study, based on ball-raceway Hertz point contact theory, mathematical models of the static and dynamic stiffnesses of angular contact ball bearings are established by introducing geometric dimension data and load distribution parameters. The nonlinear stiffnesses of the 60TAC120B angular contact ball bearing were calculated by the Newton-Raphson algorithm. For the static stiffness, the radial and axial stiffnesses for different external loads were obtained. The errors between the exact calculation method and the traditional empirical formula method were compared. For dynamic stiffness, the radial and axial stiffnesses for different rotational speeds were obtained under a defined external load. To verify the accuracy of the above theoretical calculation, the nonlinear contact finite-element method was used to accurately simulate the static and dynamic stiffnesses. Finally, an experimental study on the static and dynamic nonlinear stiffnesses was carried out using custom stiffness test equipment. In addition, the results of theoretical calculations, numerical simulations, and experiments were compared. The results showed that the stiffness model of the ball-raceway Hertz point contact theory was too ideal and deviated significantly from the experimental data curve. The finite-element numerical simulation method was not restricted by the channel control theory of the bearing rings, and the obtained results were closer to the measured values. This study provides the conditions for the analysis of the working accuracy of large, heavy-duty equipment affected by the joint stiffness, and it has important theoretical and practical significance.

Automated summary

This study establishes mathematical models of the static and dynamic stiffnesses of angular contact ball bearings based on ball-raceway Hertz point contact theory and calculates the nonlinear stiffnesses using the Newton-Raphson algorithm. The results show that the traditional stiffness model deviates significantly from experimental data, while the finite-element numerical simulation method provides closer results to the measured values.