Dynamics of Rolling Element—Bearings Experimental Validation of the DREB and RAPIDREB Computer Programs

Abstract

The general motion of the cage predicted by the computer models in an angular contact ball bearing operating up to two million DN is compared against experimental data. Both the computer predictions and experimental data indicate a certain critical shaft speed at which the cage mass center begins to whirl. The predicted and measured whirl velocities and orbit shapes are in good agreement. The axial and radial velocities of the cage mass center also agree within the tolerance band of the expected experimental error. Due to experimental difficulties the cage angular velocity could not be reliabily measured at high speeds. At low speeds, however, there is a fair agreement between the experimental data and the analytical predictions.