A numerical finite-element method for radial bearing stiffness estimation based on load dependent meshing

The present work discusses a numerical finite-element procedure to determine the radial stiffness of rolling element bearings by means of load-dependent meshes. The proposed technique is applied to two reference bearings, i.e. a cylindrical roller bearing and a deep-groove ball bearing, to consider two different types of contact between rolling elements and races. An extensive investigation is carried out to determine the mesh size, proportional to the load-dependent contact area, which provides an acceptable compromise between the accuracy of the results and the computational time. Different element types, both in their linear and parabolic formulations, are considered in the inquiry. By employing the proposed methodology, the stiffness-load curve is determined for both bearings. Results are compared against an analytical formulation retrieved from the literature. Finally, the method is employed to determine the influence of load direction, cage modelling and clearance on the estimated stiffness and the associated simulation time.