Experimental investigation of the static and dynamic damping behaviour of antifriction bearings

This paper experimentally investigates the vibration-damping behaviour of four different antifriction bearings. Both static and dynamic analyses have been employed to study the damping behaviour. Experiments are conducted on a custom-made rotor bearing test rig, and the results are analysed with the OROS NV-Gate data collection system at DE (Drive end) and NDE (Non-drive end). Free vibration analysis is used to determine natural frequencies. The half-power bandwidth and logarithmic decrement methods are used to get the damping ratios. Furthermore, force vibration tests are carried out on different bearings with varying operating characteristics to support the static analysis results. The results demonstrate that the damping capacity of tapered roller bearings is superior, followed by cylindrical, spherical and self-aligned bearings. The contact between rolling elements and raceways plays an essential role in the damping capability of such bearings. The result of current research has prospective applications in the design of high-performance rotor bearing systems.