Influence of non-uniform high-order flange waviness on vibration of tapered roller bearings

The non-uniform high-order waviness of the inner ring flange surface is one of the main manufacturing errors of tapered roller bearings (TRBs), and it is a vital excitation source that leads to complex dynamic behavior of the rotating machinery system. To explore the time-varying excitation mechanism caused by the non-uniform high-order waviness of the inner ring flange surface, this paper proposes a nonlinear dynamic model of TRBs that considers the effects of the time-varying stiffness (TVS) and displacement (TVD) excitations of the non-uniform high-order waviness. This model characterizes the mapping relationship between the waviness distribution pattern and TVS and TVD excitations, revealing the mechanism by which non-uniform high-order waviness affects the system’s vibration response. Based on the established model, this paper investigates the law governing the influence of the number of high-order waviness components on the vibration characteristics of TRBs. The results indicate that the non-uniform high-order waviness of the inner ring flange surface aggravates the vibration level of the TRBs and alters the peak frequency components in the vibration acceleration spectrum. Experimental validations confirm that the proposed method can accurately characterize the vibration characteristics induced by the non-uniform high-order waviness on the inner ring rib surface of TRBs. This study provides theoretical support for the quality control of the inner ring flange surface processing of TRBs.