Rolling bearing test under conditions close to the target system

The higher the requirements placed on bearing systems, the more complex the design process becomes. This applies, for example, to rolling bearings in electric passenger car drive trains, especially the rotor bearing of the drive motor. High speeds, complex lubrication conditions, dynamic thermal/mechanical loads, result in geometric misalignment of the bearings relative to each other and critical tribological conditions. If it is not possible to design the rolling bearing arrangement using conventional calculation methods and simulations, the desired information on the behavior or operating limits of rolling bearing arrangements can be determined by means of tests. The test rig, presented in this article, offers a suitable method for validating and optimizing rolling bearings under conditions similar to those in the application. Furthermore, test contents and results are shown. Derived from this, potentials for the coupling of experiment and simulation as well as approaches for the extension and improvement of analytical calculations can be presented.