scholarly journals Fluorescence microscopy visualization of the roughness-induced transition between lubrication regimes

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. eaaw4761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dina Petrova ◽  
Bart Weber ◽  
Cleménce Allain ◽  
Pierre Audebert ◽  
Cees H. Venner ◽  
...  

We investigate the transition between different regimes of lubrication and directly observe the thickness of nanometric lubrication films with a sensitivity of a single molecular layer at a multi-asperity interface through fluorescence microscopy. We redefine specific film thickness as the ratio of the lubricant film thickness and the surface roughness measured only at those regions of the interface where the gap is “minimal.” This novel definition of specific film thickness successfully captures the transition from full elastohydrodynamic lubrication to mixed and boundary lubrication. The transition can be triggered by increasing the surface roughness and is accurately predicted by using the new film thickness definition. We find that when the liquid carries part of the load, its apparent viscosity is greatly increased by confinement, and show how the transition between different lubrication regimes is well described by the viscosity increase and subsequent glass transition in the film.

2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Akbarzadeh ◽  
M. M. Khonsari

A model is developed for predicting the performance of spur gears with provision for surface roughness. For each point along the line of action, the contact of pinion and gear is replaced by that of two cylinders. The radii of cylinders, transmitted load, and contact stress are calculated, and lubricant film thickness is obtained using the load-sharing concept of Johnson et al. (1972, “A Simple Theory of Asperity Contact in Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication,” Wear, 19, pp. 91–108) To validate the analysis, the predicted film thickness and the friction coefficient are compared to published theoretical and experimental data. The model is capable of predicting the performance of gears with non-Newtonian lubricants—such as that of shear thinning lubricants—often used in gears. For this purpose, a correction factor for shear thinning film thickness introduced by Bair (2005, “Shear Thinning Correction for Rolling/Sliding Electrohydrodynamic Film Thickness,” Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng., Part J: J. Eng. Tribol., 219, pp. 1–6) has been employed. The results of a series of simulations presenting the effect of surface roughness on the friction coefficient are presented and discussed. The results help to establish the lubrication regime along the line of action of spur gears.


2013 ◽  
Vol 420 ◽  
pp. 30-35
Author(s):  
Khanittha Wongseedakaew ◽  
Jesda Panichakorn

This paper presents the effects of rough surface air-soft elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) of rollers for soft material under the effect of air molecular slip. The time independent modified Reynolds equation and elasticity equation were solved numerically using finite different method, Newton-Raphson method and multigrid multilevel methods were used to obtain the film pressure profiles and film thickness in the contact region. The effects of amplitude of surface roughness, modulus of elasticity and air inlet temperature are examined. The simulation results showed surface roughness has effect on film thickness but it little effect to air film pressure. When the amplitude of surface roughness and modulus of elasticity increased, the air film thickness decreased but air film pressure increased. However, the air inlet temperature increased when the air film thickness increased.


2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Pu ◽  
Dong Zhu ◽  
Jiaxu Wang

In this study, a modified mixed lubrication model is developed with consideration of machined surface roughness, arbitrary entraining velocity angle, starvation, and cavitation. Model validation is executed by means of comparison between the obtained numerical results and the available starved elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) data found from some previous studies. A comprehensive analysis for the effect of inlet oil supply condition on starvation and cavitation, mixed EHL characteristics, friction and flash temperature in elliptical contacts is conducted in a wide range of operating conditions. In addition, the influence of roughness orientation on film thickness and friction is discussed under different starved lubrication conditions. Obtained results reveal that inlet starvation leads to an obvious reduction of average film thickness and an increase in interasperity cavitation area due to surface roughness, which results in significant increment of asperity contacts, friction, and flash temperature. Besides, the effect of entrainment angle on film thickness will be weakened if the two surfaces operate under starved lubrication condition. Furthermore, the results show that the transverse roughness may yield thicker EHL films and lower friction than the isotropic and longitudinal if starvation is taken into account. Therefore, the starved mixed EHL model can be considered as a useful engineering tool for industrial applications.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Bair

Abstract In the classical approach to elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) a single parameter, the pressure-viscosity coefficient, quantifies the isothermal pressure dependence of the viscosity for use in prediction of film thickness. Many definitions are in current use. Progress toward a successful definition of this property has been hampered by the refusal of those working in classical EHL to acknowledge the existence of accurate measurements of the piezoviscous effect that have existed for nearly a century. The Hamrock and Dowson pressure-viscosity coefficient at high temperature requires knowledge of the piezoviscous response at pressures which exceed the inlet pressure and may exceed the Hertz pressure. The definition of pressure-viscosity coefficient and the assumed equation of state must limit the use of the classical formulas, including Hamrock and Dowson, to liquids with high Newtonian limit and to low temperature. Given that this problem has existed for at least fifty years without resolution, it is reasonable to conclude that there is no definition of pressure-viscosity coefficient that will quantify the piezoviscous response for an analytical calculation of EHL film thickness at temperatures above ambient.


2015 ◽  
Vol 736 ◽  
pp. 140-145
Author(s):  
Khanittha Wongseedakaew

This paper describes the transient analysis of artificial hip joint during human movement under elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) with non-Newtonian lubricants based on a Carreau model. During walking, the load and velocity are varying with time. The numerical schemes employed perturbation method, Newton-Raphson method and multi-grid multilevel with full approximation technique to solve the time-dependent modified Reynolds equation and elasticity equation with initial conditions. The aim of this study was investigated the characteristics of elastohydrodynamic lubrication, profile of film pressure and film thickness profile in human artificial hip joint during human movement. Numerical results show the transient film thicknessincreased and then decreased because of reverse motion. In smooth surface condition, film thickness for Newtonian fluids is slightly higher than the film thickness for non-Newtonian fluid. The amplitude of surface roughness has significant effect on the film thickness,the minimum film thickness decreased when the amplitude of surface roughness increases.


The piston seal that separates the hostile environment of the combustion chamber from the crankcase that contains the lubricant is an essential machine element in reciprocating engines. The sealing force pressing the piston rings against the cylinder liner varies with the combustion chamber pressure to form an effective self-adjusting mechanism. The conjunctions between piston rings and cylinder liners are thus subjected to cyclic variations of load, entraining velocity and effective lubricant temperature as the piston reciprocates within the cylinder. Recent theoretical and experimental studies have confirmed that piston rings enjoy hydrodynamic lubrication throughout most of the engine cycle, but that a transition to mixed or boundary lubrication can be expected near top dead centre. The purpose of the present paper is to examine the suggestion that elastohydrodynamic lubrication might contribute to the tribological performance of the piston seal, particularly near top dead centre. The mode of lubrication in eight four-stroke and six two-stroke diesel engines is assessed in terms of the dimensionless viscosity and elasticity parameters proposed by Johnson (1970), and the associated map of lubrication régimes. The survey indicates unequivocally that elastohydrodynamic action can be expected during part of the stroke in all the engines considered. In the second part of the paper a detailed examination of the influence of elastohydrodynamic action in one particular engine is presented to confirm the general findings recorded in the study of lubrication régimes. Current analysis of the lubrication of rigid piston rings already takes account of the variation of surface temperature along the cylinder liner and its influence upon lubricant viscosity. It is shown that, when the enhancing influence of pressure upon viscosity is added to the analysis of rigid piston rings, the predicted cyclic minimum film thickness is more than doubled. Full elastohydrodynamic action, involving both local distortion of the elastic solids and the influence of pressure upon viscosity, results in a fourfold increase in film thickness. It is further shown that it is necessary to take account of the variation of squeeze-film velocity throughout the lubricated conjunction at each crank angle if reliable predictions of film shape and thickness are to be achieved. It is thus concluded that the wave of elastic deformation, which ripples up and down the cylinder liners many times each second in diesel engines, together with the associated local elastic deformations on the piston rings themselves, combine with the influence of pressure upon lubricant viscosity to enhance the minimum oil film thickness in the piston seal by elastohydrodynamic action.


2016 ◽  
Vol 08 (02) ◽  
pp. 1650014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Zhou ◽  
Qingbing Dong

This paper develops a three-dimensional (3D) model for a heterogeneous half-space with inclusions distributed periodically beneath its surface subject to elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) line-contact applied by a cylindrical loading body. The model takes into account the interactions between the loading body, the fluid lubricant and the heterogeneous half-space. In the absence of subsurface inclusions, the surface contact pressure distribution, the half-space surface deformation and the lubricant film thickness profile are obtained through solving a unified Reynolds equation system. The inclusions are homogenized according to Eshelby’s equivalent inclusion method (EIM) with unknown eigenstrains to be determined. The disturbed half-space surface deformations induced by the subsurface inclusions or eigenstrains are iteratively introduced into the lubricant film thickness until the surface deformation finally converges. Both time-independent smooth surface contact and time-dependent rough surface contact are considered for the lubricated contact problem.


2011 ◽  
Vol 86 ◽  
pp. 898-903
Author(s):  
Hanspeter Dinner

If the contact pressure between mating flanks of a gear set is increased, the lubricant film thickness in between is reduced to a level where the asperities of the flanks start to touch. This case where the surface roughness is of similar value as the EHD film thickness is called “mixed friction”. Due to the metallic contact of the asperities and the movement of the flanks with respect to each other, the flanks are damaged. The damaged flanks appear dull or greyish, hence the name “grey-staining” (or “Graufleckigkeit” in German), see e.g. [4] or [1]. Micropitting are small cracks on the surface of the gears (as opposed to pitting, where the cracks form below the surface), which grow into the material. The size of the damages is about 10-20 mm depth, 25-100 mm length and 10-20 mm width. Micropitting is mainly observed with case carburized gears but may also be found in nitrided, induction hardened or through hardened gears. Micropitting mainly occurs in areas of negative specific sliding. Negative specific sliding is to be found along the path of contact between point A and C on the driving gear and between point C and E on the driven gear.


Author(s):  
F. Mora ◽  
P. Sainsot ◽  
A. A. Lubrecht ◽  
Y. le Chenadec

This paper is an extension of the Amplitude Reduction Theory to soft ElastoHydrodynamic contacts. The ART permits a quantitative prediction of the influence of surface roughness on the lubricant film thickness modification as a function of the operating conditions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Pickens ◽  
Zhong Liu ◽  
Takayuki Nishino ◽  
Q. Jane Wang

This research aims to evaluate the tribological performance of chromium molybdenum (CrMo) coatings under point and line-contact mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication. This article studies the coatings made from two different methods and treated in an electrifying process of different durations, which produced microchannels and micropockets in the surfaces. The resulting surface topographies had varying impacts on lubricant film thickness, friction, and wear. Root-mean-square roughness (Sq) and porosity are used to characterize the surfaces and their performances in terms of film thickness, friction, and wear. The results suggest that the coated surfaces with a lower Sq and porosity density tended to yield higher film thickness. However, their influence on friction is complicated; lower roughness and porosity are preferred for lower wear, but certain levels of small roughness and surface pores may help to reduce boundary lubrication friction when compared with the frictional behaviors of porosity-free surfaces and those with higher roughness and higher porosity.


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