Theoretical substantiation of new features of rolling bearings operation under combined loading conditions

Rolling bearings are widely used in the products of aviation and space technology. To ensure their long-term trouble-free operation, it is necessary to have accurate and reliable information about the forces acting on the bearings. The required values of forces and, accordingly, the required durability of bearings are usually determined on the basis of the traditional design scheme of a double-support beam (smooth beam mounted on two hinged supports). The paper presents a new interpretation of the features of the operation of bearing units on ball radial single-row bearings installed according to the «cross located» arrangement. It is shown that under conditions of combined loading, including radial and axial forces, the generally accepted theoretical model of a doublesupport beam is not implemented. There is no single calculation model that adequately reflects the nature of the interaction of bearing parts over the entire range of external loads. In the most general case, this model can be represented by a sequence of five statically indeterminate calculation schemes, which are modified and transformed into one another. So, with an increase in the external radial force, the “cantilevered beam with additional hinge support” scheme is first implemented, which, then, is transformed into the “double-sided jamming” scheme, and that, later, is transformed into the “two double hinge supports” scheme. It is also possible to implement two intermediate transition schemes. A specific example shows that in the products of aviation and space technology, determining the durability of bearings based on the traditional model is not advisable, since it can give an overestimated value with an error of 28,37 to 26663,9 times.