Iterative FEA method for load distribution of flexible supporting thin-section ball bearing

To figure out the load distribution of thin-section rolling bearing supported by flexible structure with squirrel cage and the distribution's influence on bearing life, an iterative FEA method is proposed to use the result calculated from the Quasi-Dynamic model based on the rigid support hypothesis. The contact angle, contact position and stiffness of equivalent spring are modified during the iterative FEA to optimize the FEA model, and then the bearings' life can be predicted when the error is below 0.5%. It can be concluded that from the analysis results the load distribution under flexible support is more uniform than that of the rigid support, while the maximum load decreases by 11.2% and bearing life increases by 14.7%. The analysis result of different values of thickness of bearing house, rings and hollow shaft demonstrates the thicknesses of bearing house and hollow shaft have a greater influence on the load's uniformity and bearing's life than those of the rings.