Internal Load Distribution in Cylindrical Roller Bearings under Radial and Axial Loads

Abstract In cylindrical roller bearings, radial loads are borne by the roller-raceway contact surfaces, and axial loads are borne by the roller end-ring flange contact surfaces. In tapered roller bearings, which support combined radial and axial loads, the relationship between the load on the rolling contact surface and the sliding contact surface is determined geometrically from the macroscopic equilibrium of the radial and axial components acting on the rollers. In contrast, for cylindrical roller bearings, the relationship between these loads is more complex. The moment acting on the rollers must be considered, making calculations impossible using the same approach as for tapered roller bearings. This study aims to experimentally investigate the internal load distributions of cylindrical roller bearings under external radial and axial loads. First, roller-raceway load and roller end-ring flange load were measured using strain gauges installed on the inner ring while the bearing was rotating under various radial and axial loads. Second, the effects of external loads on the magnitudes and distributions of these measured loads were analyzed. Furthermore, the validity of the measurement results was verified through numerical calculations. As a result, the flange load distributions exhibited bell-shaped profiles with peaks at the center of the load zone and nearly symmetrical distributions on both sides, similar to the roller load distributions. When comparing under the same radial load, the higher the axial load, the wider the range of the load zone on roller and flange loads, and the higher the maximum flange load.