Transient collision behavior and cage instable whirling mechanism in ball bearings: modeling approach and properties investigation

This manuscript presents a dynamic model of ball bearing considering cage flexible deformations and collision behavior of ball-cage pocket. The cage is firstly divided into a series of discrete mass units connected through springs, and the change in cage clearance is then considered to represent cage flexibility. The collision behavior of ball-pocket, the elastic connection force among cage discrete units, and the hydrodynamic action of cage-guiding ring are all analyzed to derive the dynamic equations for bearing components. The cage dynamic properties and instable whirling mechanism are explored. Discussions present that cage motion stability can be effectively improved by adjusting cage flexible characteristics, and appropriate preload and clearance design further optimize bearing service performance.