Effect of ring misalignment on the fatigue life of the radial cylindrical roller bearing

• An effect of misalignment in the cylindrical roller bearing on its fatigue life is analysed.
• The modified Lundberg and Palmgren model is used for the fatigue life calculation.
• Von Mises stress are found by solving the Boussinesq problem for elastic half-space.
• The applied methodology for determining the stress gives results comparable to FEM.
• A decrease in the fatigue life following from misalignment depends on bearing load.

An effect of ring misalignment in the radial cylindrical roller bearing on its fatigue life is analysed. In order to predict the fatigue life, a methodology, which allows bearing geometrical parameters, including profiles of rolling generators, bearing radial clearance, angular tilting of rings and complex load to be accounted for, was applied. Stress distributions indispensable to calculate the predicted fatigue life were determined via solving the Boussinesq problem numerically for the elastic half-space and with the FEM. In the calculation of the predicted bearing life fatigue, Lundberg and Palmgren's model was employed. The results of calculations were compared to the recommendations of manufacturers of roller bearings referring to admissible tilt angles of rings.