Cage Slip in Roller Bearings

Abstract

The occurrence of cage and roller slip in lubricated roller bearings has been observed under adverse conditions of high speed and low load. Whilst slip is not normally a problem in roller bearings, in certain applications, for example the bearings supporting gas-turbine shafts, it can pose difficult design problems. For such conditions, bearing distress may occur due to increased wear and heat generation. A reduction of slip may be effected by the use of out-of-round races causing a preloading of some of the rolling elements; this, however, entails a corresponding reduction in fatigue life. Work described in this paper supplements the small amount of existing experimental evidence available concerning slip in rolling-element bearings. As well as a consideration of the effects of load and speed on slip, particular attention is paid to the quantity of lubricant supplied and the degree of misalignment present and the influence of these parameters on slip. Experimental results show a considerable divergence from previous results obtained using a similar bearing.