Skew limiting bearing cage

A cage for spacing a plurality of rolling elements in a rolling element bearing assembly containing a working fluid, the cage comprising:

• a first axial end ring;
• a second axial end ring;
• a central rotation axis extending centrally through the first axial end ring and the second axial end ring;
• and
• a plurality of roller pockets spaced circumferentially about the cage, each of the plurality of roller pockets configured to receive a rolling element therein,
• wherein at least one of the plurality of roller pockets includes a Rayleigh step array that generates a hydrodynamic force within the working fluid in response to a skew angle between a rotational axis of the rolling element within the roller pocket and the central rotation axis.

A method of operating a rolling element bearing assembly, the method comprising:

• providing an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring, and a cage configured to circumferentially space the plurality of rolling elements about the rolling element bearing assembly, the cage including a plurality of roller pockets in which the plurality of rolling elements are located, at least one of the plurality of roller pockets including a Rayleigh step array;
• imparting relative rotation between the outer ring and the inner ring to set the plurality of rolling elements in rolling contact with the outer ring and the inner ring, the rotation imparting skew to at least one of the plurality of rolling elements;
• and
• in response to the skew of the at least one of the plurality of rolling elements, generating a skew counteracting hydrodynamic force on at least one of the plurality of rolling elements with the Rayleigh step array.