Critical Shoulder Height of Raceway in Ball Bearing Considering Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication

In this study, the effects of Elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication pressure on the critical shoulder height of raceway in an angular contact ball bearing were investigated. Both 3D contact analyses using an influence function and the EHL analysis were conducted for the contact geometry between the ball and raceways. The pressure distributions by 3D contact analysis and EHL analysis for an example bearing were compared. The effect of ellipse truncation on the minimum film thickness also investigated from EHL analysis. The critical shoulder height in the dry contact and the EHL state were compared for various applied loads. It is shown that when the ellipse truncation occurs, the pressure spike for the EHL conjunction is higher than that for the dry contact, and its location moves more inward of the contact center. The steep pressure gradients would increase the flow rate, so in order to maintain flow continuity a significant reduction in film thickness and an abrupt rise in pressure occurs in the edge of shoulder. Significant reduction of the minimum film thickness occurs near the edge of shoulder. The critical shoulder heights in the EHL state are calculated as higher values compared with in the dry contact. This results shows that the determination of critical shoulder height by the EHL analysis is more proper.