A Scale Dependent Simulation of Liquid Lubricated Textured Surfaces

2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Jackson

Over the past few years, the importance of nanoscale technology in industries, such as data storage, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMs), and conventional sliding and rolling element bearings, has increased significantly. This is due to increased performance criteria and emerging technologies at smaller scales. One way to increase tribological performance of such applications is through nanoscale surface texturing. These textures will allow for precise control of the performance of lubricated surfaces with very thin films. This work examines how the behavior of the lubricant changes as the geometry of the texture is decreased toward the nanoscale. This work uses existing scale dependent lubrication theories to model the hydrodynamic lubrication of textured surfaces in attempt to predict how nanoscale textures will perform. The theoretical results show that the scale effects of a lubricant between textured surfaces can decrease the load carrying capacity while also decreasing the friction force. Overall, the friction force decreases more than the load carrying capacity and so the effective friction coefficient is decreased. It should be noted that relative to larger scale textured surfaces, the load support can also decrease with the decreasing scale of the texture.

2015 ◽  
Vol 787 ◽  
pp. 327-331
Author(s):  
S. Prakash ◽  
G. Nagarajan

A Theoretical model was developed to study the potential use of surface texturing for reducing the friction between a piston ring and cylinder liner. The model can predict the load-carrying capacity and friction force of the piston compression ring from Reynolds equation. The investigation is carried out using different dimple depths as well as different dimple diameters. Micro-dimples on the piston ring were able to generate significant hydrodynamic support. Numerical results show that surface texturing can decrease the friction force and extend the load-carrying capacity. The optimum surface texturing parameters such as dimples depth and dimples diameter were found.


Author(s):  
Yanxiang Han ◽  
Qingen Meng ◽  
Gregory de Boer

A two-scale homogenization method for modelling the hydrodynamic lubrication of mechanical seals with isotropic roughness was developed and presented the influence of surface topography coupled into the lubricating domain. A linearization approach was derived to link the effects of surface topography across disparate scales. Solutions were calculated in a polar coordinate system derived based on the Elrod cavitation algorithm and were determined using homogenization of periodic simulations describing the lubrication of a series of surface topographical features. Solutions obtained for the hydrodynamic lubrication regime showed that the two-scale homogenization approach agreed well with lubrication theory in the case without topography. Varying topography amplitude demonstrated that the presence of surface topography improved tribological performance for a mechanical seal in terms of increasing load-carrying capacity and reducing friction coefficient in the radial direction. A Stribeck curve analysis was conducted, which indicated that including surface topography led to an increase in load-carrying capacity and a reduction in friction. A study of macro-scale surface waviness showed that the micro-scale variations observed were smaller in magnitude but cannot be obtained without the two-scale method and cause significant changes in the tribological performance.


2005 ◽  
Vol 128 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Feldman ◽  
Y. Kligerman ◽  
I. Etsion ◽  
S. Haber

Microdimples generated by laser surface texturing (LST) can be used to enhance performance in hydrostatic gas-lubricated tribological components with parallel surfaces. The pressure distribution and load carrying capacity for a single three-dimensional dimple, representing the LST, were obtained via two different methods of analysis: a numerical solution of the exact full Navier-Stokes equations, and an approximate solution of the much simpler Reynolds equation. Comparison between the two solution methods illustrates that, despite potential large differences in local pressures, the differences in load carrying capacity, for realistic geometrical and physical parameters, are small. Even at large clearances of 5% of the dimple diameter and pressure ratios of 2.5 the error in the load carrying capacity is only about 15%. Thus, for a wide range of practical clearances and pressures, the simpler, approximate Reynolds equation can safely be applied to yield reasonable predictions for the load carrying capacity of dimpled surfaces.


Author(s):  
S. Lamancusa ◽  
D. A. Saravanos ◽  
H. J. Sommer

Abstract Structural optimization can result in robotic arms with significantly improved stiffness and load carrying capacity. The geometrical shape of the manipulator links can be optimized for maximum stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios. The problem of stiffening and strengthening a manipulator is solved by optimal redistribution of the available material without increasing the total mass of the manipulator. Since manipulators are programmed to move through a range of postures, thereby creating different loading conditions on the links, a multi-posture design criteria is implemented to provide a more uniform stiffness and strength over the range of possible postures. Finite element based performance criteria are developed which facilitate the simultaneous maximization of specific stiffness and strength. Three application examples on a SCARA class arm illustrate the dramatic potential for simultaneous improvements in specific stiffness and specific strength. The significance of multiple postures on the optimal design, the merits of tapered versus straight link shapes, and the relation of maximum stiffness to maximum strength, are also examined.


2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Venkata K. Jasti ◽  
Martin C. Marinack ◽  
Deepak Patil ◽  
C. Fred Higgs

This work demonstrates that granular flows (i.e., macroscale, noncohesive spheres) entrained into an eccentrically converging gap can indeed actually exhibit lubrication behavior as prior models postulated. The physics of hydrodynamic lubrication is quite well understood and liquid lubricants perform well for conventional applications. Unfortunately, in certain cases such as high-speed and high-temperature environments, liquid lubricants break down making it impossible to establish a stable liquid film. Therefore, it has been previously proposed that granular media in sliding convergent interfaces can generate load carrying capacity, and thus, granular flow lubrication. It is a possible alternative lubrication mechanism that researchers have been exploring for extreme environments, or wheel-regolith traction, or for elucidating the spreadability of additive manufacturing materials. While the load carrying capacity of granular flows has been previously demonstrated, this work attempts to more directly uncover the hydrodynamic-like granular flow behavior in an experimental journal bearing configuration. An enlarged granular lubricated journal bearing (GLJB) setup has been developed and demonstrated. The setup was made transparent in order to visualize and video capture the granular collision activity at high resolution. In addition, a computational image processing program has been developed to process the resulting images and to noninvasively track the “lift” generated by granular flow during the journal bearing operation. The results of the lift caused by granular flow as a function of journal rotation rate are presented as well.


1983 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Bagci ◽  
A. P. Singh

The effect of the film shape on the load carrying capacity of a hydrodynamically lubricated bearing has not been considered an important factor in the past. Flat-faced tapered bearing and the Raileigh’s step bearing of constant film thickness have been the primary forms of film shapes for slider bearing studies and design data developments. This article, by the computer aided numerical solution of the Reynolds equation for two dimensional incompressible lubricant flow, investigates hydrodynamically lubricated slider bearings having different film shapes and studies the effect of the film shape on the performance characteristics of finite bearings; and it shows that optimized bearing with film shapes having descending slope toward the trailing edge of the bearing has considerably higher load carrying capacity than the optimized flat-faced tapered bearing of the same properties. For example the truncated cycloidal film shape yields 26.3 percent higher load carrying capacity for Lz/Lx = 1 size ratio, and 44 percent higher for Lz/Lx = 1/2. The article then presents charts for the optimum designs of finite slider bearings having tapered, exponential, catenoidal, polynomial, and truncated-cycloidal film shapes, and illustrates their use in numerical bearing design examples. These charts also furnish information on flow rate, side leakage, temperature rise, coefficient of friction, and friction power loss in optimum bearings. Appended to the article are analytical solutions for infinitely wide bearings with optimum bearing characteristics. The computer aided numerical solution of the Reynolds equation in most general form is presented by which finite or infinitely wide hydrodynamically or hydrostatically lubricated bearings, externally pressurized or not, can be studied. A digital computer program is made available.


1986 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Mitsuya

Stokes roughness effects on hydrodynamic lubrication are studied in the slip flow regime. Slip flow boundary conditions for Navier-Stokes equations are derived, assuming that the fluid on a surface slips due to the molecular mean free path along the surface, even if the surface is rough. The perturbation method for Navier-Stokes equations, which was derived in Part I of this report, is then applied. Slip flow effects on load carrying capacity and frictional force are numerically clarified for both Stokes and Reynolds roughnesses. In the slip flow regime, second-order quantities induced by Stokes effects, such as flow rate, load carrying capacity, and frictional force are in proportion to the wavenumber squared. This phenomenon relative to the quantities being proportional is also the same as that in the continuum flow regime. As a result of velocity slippage, the load carrying capacity in Stokes roughness is found to decrease more than in Reynolds roughness for incompressible films, while the relationship is reversed for compressible films having a high compressibility number. The simulation of random roughness, which is generated by numerical means, clarifies one important result: the average slip flow effects associated with random Stokes roughness become similar to the slip flow effects in deterministic sinusoidal Stokes roughness, whose wavelength and height are statistically equivalent to those of random roughness. Although attention should be given to the fact that Stokes effects on random roughness demonstrate considerable scattering with the continuum flow, such scattering diminishes with the slip flow.


1970 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Korrenn

Thrust load transmission at the contact areas of roller ends and flanges occurs under conditions of pure sliding. Recent theoretical and experimental investigations showed that with adequately designed roller ends and flanges and with a satisfactory lubricant high thrust loads can be accommodated over a wide speed range with fully hydrodynamic lubrication. The conventional methods used for the determination of the safe thrust load should be revised and supplemented. Oil viscosity should be introduced as an important parameter. Contrary to present opinion the hydrodynamic load-carrying capacity at the flange increases with increasing speed. This new knowledge broadens the application range of radial cylindrical roller bearings.


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