Numerical investigation of squeeze film lubrication on bioinspired hexagonal patterned surface

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the squeeze film lubrication properties of hexagonal patterned surface inspired by the epidermis structure of tree frog’s toe pad and numerically explore the working mechanism of hexagonal micropillar during the acquisition process of high adhesive and friction for wet contacts. Design/methodology/approach A two-dimensional elastohydrodynamic numerical model is employed for the squeezing contacts. The pressure distribution, load carrying capacity and liquid flow rate of the squeeze film are obtained through a simultaneous solution of the two-dimensional Reynolds equation and elasticity deformation equations. Findings Higher pressure is found to be longitudinally distributed across individual hexagonal pillar, with pressure peak emerging at the center of hexagonal pillar. Expanding the area density and shrinking the channel depth or initial film thickness will improve the magnitude of squeezing pressure. Relatively lower pressure is generated inside interconnected channels, which reduces the load carrying capacity of the squeeze film. Meanwhile, the introduction of microchannel is revealed to downscale the total mass flow rate of squeezing contacts. Originality/value This paper provides a good proof for the working mechanism of surface microstructures during the acquisition process of high adhesive and friction for wet contacts.

Gas film lubrication method on rotation shaft seal based on contact design

Purpose Wear failure happens frequently in rubber seal of high-speed rotating shaft because of the dry friction. Some traditional lubrication methods are not effective because of the restrictions on the relative high speed, temperature and others. This paper aims to present a new method of lubrication with gas film for the rotation shaft seal based on the contact design. Design/methodology/approach To obtain the generation condition of gas film and good effect of lubrication in the contact gap between the shaft and its seal, a series of micro-spiral grooves are designed on the contact surface of rubber seal so as to obtain a continuous dynamic pressure difference. Findings The result is that the distribution of the gas film in the micro-gap is continuous under the design of the spiral grooves and the contact with eccentricity because of the deformation of rubber seal, which is verified through the simulation calculation and experiment test. It is confirmed that the lubrication method with gas film through designing micro-spiral grooves on the contact surface is effective, and can achieve self-adaptive air lubrication for the high-speed shaft under the premise of the reliable sealing. Originality/value The method of gas film lubrication is realized through designing a microstructure of spiral grooves on the rubber surface to change the contact status, which can form a mechanism of adaptive lubrication to reduce the dry friction automatically in the contact gap. For the cross-scale difference between the rubber seal and gas film, a new modeling method is presented by building the mapping relation for the split blocks and repairing technique with integrated computer engineering and manufacturing, to reduce the possibility of nonconvergence and improve the efficiency and accuracy of calculation.

Failures of Sliding Bearings

A mechanical part, which supports the moving part, is termed a mechanical bearing and can be classified into rolling (ball or roller) bearings and sliding bearings. This article discusses the failures of sliding bearings. It first describes the geometry of sliding bearings, next provides an overview of bearing materials, and then presents the various lubrication mechanisms: hydrostatic, hydrodynamic, boundary lubrication, elastohydrodynamic, and squeeze-film lubrication. The article describes the effect of debris and contaminant particles in bearings. The steps involved in failure analysis of sliding bearings are also covered. Finally, the article discusses wear-damage mechanisms from the standpoint of bearing design.

Contact stiffness and damping of spiral bevel gears under transient mixed lubrication conditions

Existing 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.