Abstract : Spherical roller bearings (SRBs) are widely used under self-aligning operating conditions, such as rotor bending or an angular misalignment between inner and outer rings due to their self-aligning function. However, the characterization of SRBs’ self-aligning function is often ignored in the present models. The reason for this is that the self-aligning condition is essentially a fault condition, and many scholars have assumed SRBs are in an ideal operating condition.