Numerical Modeling of Mixed Lubrication and Flash Temperature in EHL Elliptical Contacts

2007 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neelesh Deolalikar ◽  
Farshid Sadeghi ◽  
Sean Marble

Highly loaded ball and rolling element bearings are often required to operate in the mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication regime in which surface asperity contact occurs simultaneously during the lubrication process. Predicting performance (i.e., pressure, temperature) of components operating in this regime is important as the high asperity contact pressures can significantly reduce the fatigue life of the interacting components. In this study, a deterministic mixed lubrication model was developed to determine the pressure and temperature of mixed lubricated circular and elliptic contacts for measured and simulated surfaces operating under pure rolling and rolling/sliding condition. In this model, we simultaneously solve for lubricant and asperity contact pressures. The model allows investigation of the condition and transition from boundary to full-film lubrication. The variation of contact area and load ratios is examined for various velocities and slide-to-roll ratios. The mixed lubricated model is also used to predict the transient flash temperatures occurring in contacts due to asperity contact interactions and friction. In order to significantly reduce the computational efforts associated with surface deformation and temperature calculation, the fast Fourier transform algorithm is implemented.

2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 1099-1107
Author(s):  
Guo Xiang Guo Xiang ◽  
Yanfeng Han ◽  
Renxiang Chen ◽  
Jiaxu Wang Jiaxu Wang ◽  
Ni Xiaokang

Purpose This paper aims to present a numerical model to investigate the mixed lubrication performances of journal-thrust coupled bearings (or coupled bearings). Design/methodology/approach The coupled hydrodynamic effect (or coupled effect) between the journal and the thrust bearing is considered by ensuring the continuity of the hydrodynamic pressure and the flow field at the common boundary. The mixed lubrication performances of the coupled bearing are comparatively studied for the cases of considering and not considering coupled effect. Findings The simulated results show that the hydrodynamic pressure distributions for both the journal and thrust bearing are modified due to the coupled effect. The decreased load capacity of the journal bearing and the increased load capacity of the thrust bearing can be observed when the coupled effect is considered. And the coupled effect can facilitate in reducing the asperity contact load for both the journal and thrust bearing. Additionally, the interaction between the mixed lubrication behaviors, especially for the friction coefficient, of the journal and the thrust bearing is significant in the elastohydrodynamic lubrication regime, while it becomes weak in the mixed lubrication regime. Originality/value The developed model can reveal the mutual effects of the mixed lubrication behavior between the journal and the thrust bearing.


2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Zhu ◽  
Q. Jane Wang

Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication (EHL) is commonly known as a mode of fluid-film lubrication in which the mechanism of hydrodynamic film formation is enhanced by surface elastic deformation and lubricant viscosity increase due to high pressure. It has been an active and challenging field of research since the 1950s. Significant breakthroughs achieved in the last 10–15 years are largely in the area of mixed EHL, in which surface asperity contact and hydrodynamic lubricant film coexist. Mixed EHL is of the utmost importance not only because most power-transmitting components operate in this regime, but also due to its theoretical universality that dry contact and full-film lubrication are in fact its special cases under extreme conditions. In principle, mixed EHL has included the basic physical elements for modeling contact, or hydrodynamic lubrication, or both together. The unified mixed lubrication models that have recently been developed are now capable of simulating the entire transition of interfacial status from full-film and mixed lubrication down to dry contact with an integrated mathematic formulation and numerical approach. This has indeed bridged the two branches of engineering science, contact mechanics, and hydrodynamic lubrication theory, which have been traditionally separate since the 1880s mainly due to the lack of powerful analytical and numerical tools. The recent advancement in mixed EHL begins to bring contact and lubrication together, and thus an evolving concept of “Interfacial Mechanics” can be proposed in order to describe interfacial phenomena more precisely and collaborate with research in other related fields, such as interfacial physics and chemistry, more closely. This review paper briefly presents snapshots of the history of EHL research, and also expresses the authors’ opinions about its further development as a gateway to interfacial mechanics.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-33
Author(s):  
Shuowen Zhang ◽  
Chenhui Zhang

Abstract Mixed lubrication is a major lubrication regime in the presence of surface roughness. A deterministic model is established to solve mixed lubricated point contact in this paper, using a new method to solve asperity contact region in mixed lubrication. Treatment of pressure boundary condition between elastohydrodynamic lubrication region and asperity contact region is discussed. The new model is capable of calculating typical Stribeck curve and analyzing transition of lubrication regime, from full film lubrication to boundary lubrication. Moreover, final result of the model is independent of pressure initialization. High performance in accuracy and convergence has been achieved, which is of great importance for further lubrication modelling with consideration of nano-scale roughness, intermolecular and surface forces.


Friction ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zongzheng Wang ◽  
Wei Pu ◽  
Xin Pei ◽  
Wei Cao

AbstractExisting studies primarily focus on stiffness and damping under full-film lubrication or dry contact conditions. However, most lubricated transmission components operate in the mixed lubrication region, indicating that both the asperity contact and film lubrication exist on the rubbing surfaces. Herein, a novel method is proposed to evaluate the time-varying contact stiffness and damping of spiral bevel gears under transient mixed lubrication conditions. This method is sufficiently robust for addressing any mixed lubrication state regardless of the severity of the asperity contact. Based on this method, the transient mixed contact stiffness and damping of spiral bevel gears are investigated systematically. The results show a significant difference between the transient mixed contact stiffness and damping and the results from Hertz (dry) contact. In addition, the roughness significantly changes the contact stiffness and damping, indicating the importance of film lubrication and asperity contact. The transient mixed contact stiffness and damping change significantly along the meshing path from an engaging-in to an engaging-out point, and both of them are affected by the applied torque and rotational speed. In addition, the middle contact path is recommended because of its comprehensive high stiffness and damping, which maintained the stability of spiral bevel gear transmission.


2018 ◽  
Vol 141 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivam S. Alakhramsing ◽  
Matthijn B. de Rooij ◽  
Aydar Akchurin ◽  
Dirk J. Schipper ◽  
Mark van Drogen

In this work, a mixed lubrication model, applicable to cam-roller contacts, is presented. The model takes into account non-Newtonian, thermal effects, and variable roller angular velocity. Mixed lubrication is analyzed using the load sharing concept, using measured surface roughness. Using the model, a quasi-static analysis for a heavily loaded cam-roller follower contact is carried out. The results show that when the lubrication conditions in the roller-pin contact are satisfactory, i.e., low friction levels, then the nearly “pure rolling” condition at the cam-roller contact is maintained and lubrication performance is also satisfactory. Moreover, non-Newtonian and thermal effects are then negligible. Furthermore, the influence of roller-pin friction coefficient on the overall tribological behavior of the cam-roller contact is investigated. In this part, a parametric study is carried out in which the friction coefficient in the roller-pin contact is varied from values corresponding to full film lubrication to values corresponding to boundary lubrication. Main findings are that at increasing friction levels in the roller-pin contact, there is a sudden increase in the slide-to-roll ratio (SRR) in the cam-roller contact. The value of the roller-pin friction coefficient at which this sudden increase in SRR is noticed depends on the contact force, the non-Newtonian characteristics, and viscosity–pressure dependence. For roller-pin friction coefficient values higher than this critical value, inclusion of non-Newtonian and thermal effects becomes highly important. Furthermore, after this critical level of roller-pin friction, the lubrication regime rapidly shifts from full film to mixed lubrication. Based on the findings in this work, the importance of ensuring adequate lubrication in the roller-pin contact is highlighted as this appears to be the critical contact in the cam-follower unit.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiharu Kazama ◽  
Yukihito Narita

The mixed and fluid film lubrication characteristics of plain journal bearings with shape changed by wear are numerically examined. A mixed lubrication model that employs both of the asperity-contact mechanism proposed by Greenwood and Williamson and the average flow model proposed by Patir and Cheng includes the effects of adsorbed film and elastic deformation is applied. Considering roughness interaction, the effects of the dent depth and operating conditions on the loci of the journal center, the asperity-contact and hydrodynamic fluid pressures, friction, and leakage are discussed. The following conclusions are drawn. In the mixed lubrication regime, the dent of the bearing noticeably influences the contact and fluid pressures. For smaller dents, the contact pressure and frictional coefficient reduce. In mixed and fluid film lubrication regimes, the pressure and coefficient increase for larger dents. Furthermore, as the dent increases and the Sommerfeld number decreases, the flow rate continuously increases.


2008 ◽  
Vol 131 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Carbone ◽  
M. Scaraggi ◽  
L. Soria

This paper deals with the strongly nonstationary squeeze of an oil film at the interface between the chain pin and pulley in chain belt continuously variable transmission. We concentrate on the squeeze motion as it occurs as soon as the pin enters the pulley groove. The duration time to complete the squeeze process compared with the running time the pin takes to cover the entire arc of contact is fundamental to understand whether direct asperity-asperity contact occurs between the two approaching surfaces to clarify what actually is the lubrication regime (elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL), mixed, or boundary) and to verify if the Hertzian pressure distribution at the interface can properly describe the actual normal stress distribution. The Hertzian pressure solution is usually taken as a starting point to design the geometry of the pin surface; therefore, it is of utmost importance for the designers to know whether their hypothesis is correct or not. Taking into account that the traveling time, the pin spends in contact with the pulley groove, is of about 0.01 s, we show that rms surface roughness less than 0.1 μm, corresponding to values adopted in such systems, guarantees a fully lubricated EHL regime at the interface. Therefore, direct asperity-asperity contact between the two approaching surfaces is avoided. We also show that the Hertzian solution does not properly represent the actual pressure distribution at the pin-pulley interface. Indeed, after few microseconds a noncentral annular pressure peak is formed, which moves toward the center of the pin with rapidly decreasing speed. The pressure peak can grow up to values of several gigapascals. Such very high pressures may cause local overloads and high fatigue stresses that must be taken into account to correctly estimate the durability of the system.


1999 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan-Zhong Hu ◽  
Dong Zhu

A full numerical solution for the mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) in point contacts is presented in this paper, using a new numerical approach that is simple and robust, capable of handling three-dimensional measured engineering rough surfaces moving at different rolling and sliding velocities. The equation system and the numerical procedure are unified for a full coverage of all the lubrication regions including the full film, mixed and boundary lubrication. In the hydrodynamically lubricated areas the Reynolds equation is used. In the asperity contact areas, where the film thickness is zero, the Reynolds equation is reduced to an expression equivalent to the mathematical description of dry contact problem. In order to save computing time, a multi-level integration method is used to calculate surface deformation. Sample cases under severe condition show that this approach is capable of analyzing different cases in a full range of λ ratio, from infinitely large down to nearly zero (less than 0.03). [S0742-4787(00)00101-6]


Author(s):  
Robert Erck ◽  
Oyelayo O. Ajayi ◽  
Cinta Lorenzo-Martin ◽  
George R. Fenske

A hard steel ball was slid against textured coated and uncoated steel disks that had strongly directionally ground surfaces. The friction coefficient during ball-on-disk rotating low-speed lubricated sliding was continuously measured. The coefficient of friction rose from ≈ 0.12, which is typical for boundary lubrication regime, to as high as 0.45 whenever the ball was sliding parallel to the grinding ridges on the disc surface. The persistence of this “spike” in the friction was observed to be correlated with the hardness of the disc surface and the nature of the coating. We propose that the frictional spike is due to loss of micro-elastohydrodynamic lubrication, combined with side leakage, leading to intimate asperity-asperity contact. As a result, the coefficient of friction is close to that which is obtained there is no or minimal lubrication. This conclusion is supported by enhanced and persistent frictional spikes in tests conducted with discs coated with a very hard nitride thin film, and constant friction for a disk coated with hydrogenated amorphous carbon, which has low coefficient of friction when there is no/minimal lubrication.


Author(s):  
Gong Cheng ◽  
Ke Xiao ◽  
Jiaxu Wang

The contact properties of an interface are crucial to the performance of equipment, and it is necessary to study the contact damping and contact stiffness, especially in the case of mixed lubrication. A calculation model for contact damping and contact stiffness considering lubrication was proposed on the basis of the KE contact model and mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication theory. Both the damping and the stiffness were composed of the oil film portion and the asperity contact portion. Since the damping and the stiffness of oil film mainly depended on the film thickness and the pressure, which can be obtained with the mixed lubrication model, another crucial point was to figure out the contribution of asperity contact. Ignoring the effect of the tangential deformation, the stiffness and the load determined with the normal deformation of the asperity were obtained. Then, the contact damping and the contact stiffness considering lubrication could be derived. Finally, the model was applied to the study of contact damping and stiffness of the involute spur gear.


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