A method is presented to allow the computer analysis of rolling bearings with reduced numbers of balls or rollers with no loss of accuracy. There are three advantages with the ability to model the bearings with less than the actual numbers of balls or rollers: (1) The method allows for the analysis of bearings which have more balls or rollers than allowed by the dimensioning of the computer software; (2) The method allows for the selection of a model number of nodes or rolling elements which are equally spaced and correspond to the number of nodes of a finite element analysis of the bearing rings and mounting structure; and (3) The method can reduce the computer printout for the bearing analysis.

Issue Section:
Technical Notes
Keywords:
rolling bearings, fatigue, finite element analysis, mechanical engineering computing
Topics:
Bearings, Rollers, Rolling bearings, Stress, Finite element analysis, Computers, Dimensions, Fatigue life, Equilibrium (Physics)
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Copyright © 2004
 by ASME
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