Effects of Surface Roughness on Point Contact EHL

The effects of orientation of surface roughness, entrainment (rolling) velocity, and slide/roll ratio on micro-elastohydrodynamic lubrication (micro-EHL) are investigated under pointcontact conditions using the optical interferometry technique. Long bumps with constant height and wavelength produced artificially on the surface of a highly polished steel ball are used as a model roughness. It is shown that the asperities are elastically deformed and the magnitude depends on the film factor A, defined by the ratio of the central film thickness based on smooth surfaces to the composite surface roughness, as well as the surface kinematic conditions and the orientation of the asperities. It is also found that a thin or thick oil film formed at the inlet of the contact by a moving rough surface travels through the contact region at a speed very close to the average speed of the contacting surfaces. The possible mechanism is discussed.     

Simulating angular ball bearing lubricated elliptical contacts Film thickness and traction measurements

A high performance barrel and plate apparatus was built to study film formation and traction by simulating the real situation of a lubricated elliptical contact in an angular ball bearing under general kinematic conditions. Simultaneous measurements of load, speed of each surface, traction, and film thickness by optical interferometry can be performed. The sapphire disc plate and the steel barrel are driven independently at constant controlled speeds. Small relative sliding, lateral sliding and spinning near pure rolling conditions can be imposed by controlling barrel shaft angle contact location. Tests were performed at ambient temperature for a small barrel whose principal radii are 1.34 mm and 9.7 mm, for applied loads which generate Hertzian pressures up to 2 × 10⁹ N/m², and for a low viscosity mineral oil. Typical experimental results show that under elasto-hydrodynamic conditions, the centre film thickness is slightly below the values calculated from classical elastohydrodynamic theories and that oil starvation occurs at high speeds. Traction curves versus slide/roll ratio are presented for different loads and under spinning and lateral sliding conditions.     

Experimental measuring set‐up and procedure for the traction coefficient on roller‐on‐disc contact

A pin‐on‐disc machine was modified to measure traction coefficient and the potential of contact difference under controlled conditions of slide‐to‐roll ratio, temperature, contact pressure and entrainment speed; oil, grease, grease's base oil and bleed‐oil were tested. This new arrangement proved to be efficient to characterise lubricants traction behaviour, film separation and tribofilm generation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

载荷对凹陷表面的动态微弹流润滑特征的影响

研究了表面凹坑在不同接触载荷和滚滑率的情况下,通过弹流润滑区时对油膜压力和形状产生的干扰现象。根据对微弹流润滑特征分析发现,只有在表面存在相对滑动的条件下,进入弹流接触区的表面凹坑才随接触载荷 的增加被逐渐地压平变浅;而在纯滚动条件下,进入弹流接触区的表面凹坑深度几乎与载荷大小无关保持不变;所有条件下因表面凹坑进入弹流接触区产生的油膜干扰凹陷深度与载荷大小无关而保持一个稳定的值。     

EHL Performance of the Lubricant With Shear Strength: Part I — Boundary Slippage and Film Failure

This paper analytically investigates the isothermal line contact elastohydrodynamic lubrication of three lubricants with much different shear strengths under the nondimensional operating parameters of w = 2.15e-4 and U = 2.53e-10 applying the lubricant ideal viscoplastic rheological model. The boundary slippage of the low-shear-strength lubricant occurring in the EHL inlet zone was found and results in a much thinner film compared to the classical EHL theory prediction. The film boundary slippage and its growth with the slide/roll ratio variation of tile low-shear\- strength lubricant exhibit special phenomena, which are much different from those of the high-shear-strength lubricant. The easy occurrence of film failure in concentrated contact in the case of high sliding speed, heavy load, large slide/roll ratio, and low-shear-strength lubricant was concluded due to the severe friction heating on the surface conjunction and the lubricant thermal desorption on tile lubricant/surface boundary. The EHL film failure mechanism was further recognized.     

Numerical analysis of TEHL line contact problem under reciprocating motion

This paper presents a full numerical analysis to simulate the thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication (TEHL) of steel–steel line contact problem under reciprocating motion. The equation system is solved using multigrid techniques. General tribological behaviors of TEHL under reciprocating motion are explained. Comparison between thermal and isothermal results reveals the importance of thermal effect in prediction of the traction coefficient and film thickness. The influences of frequency, stroke length, and applied load on the variations of film thickness, pressure and traction coefficient during one working cycle are discussed. Furthermore, the influence of slide–roll ratio on tribo-characteristics of oil film under same entraining velocity is revealed.     

Effects of Slide/Roll Ratio on the Behaviours of Grease Reservoir and Film Thickness of Point Contact

The film formation mechanism of lithium complex grease under starved condition was proposed based on the analysis of the relationship between grease reservoir and the finger-shaped lubricant along the rolling track using a laboratory built ball-on-disc test rig. Film thicknesses with rolling time at different slide/roll ratios were measured and discussed in detail. Experimental results showed that starvation occurred soon after the operation under pure rolling condition. In contrast, the contact remained fully flooded under slide–roll condition. The measurement of grease fingers proved that slide/roll ratio contributed to replenishing the contact by transferring more grease to the vicinity of the contact to form a lager lubricant reservoir. The volume of grease fingers, the inlet lubricant supply and the film thickness at different slide/roll ratios were found to be in good agreement.     

High‐pressure short time behavior of traction fluids

The squeeze film formation ability of traction fluids is studied under impact load by dropping a steel ball‐bearing against a flat anvil made of mild steel. The effect of the pressure–viscosity coefficient and of the viscosity is investigated for plastic impact. The depth difference between the lubricated surface dent and the dry dent increases linearly with the product αη of the pressure–viscosity coefficient α and the viscosity η. The importance of the lubricant parameter αη is observed under the squeeze film formation ability from contact voltage or elastohydrodynamic lubrication central film thickness measurement at rolling condition. The intensity of each impact collision is measured by means of an acoustic emission (AE) sensor. The high‐pressure short‐time solidification of traction fluids was confirmed by dent analysis after the impact tests and AE analysis under impact loads. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一种离子液体的热弹流润滑数值模拟

离子液体因微观结构与普通润滑油不同,使其具有较低的黏压系数。采用光干涉油膜测量技术标定一种离子液体的黏压系数,并通过等温数值计算验证其可靠性。使用标定的黏压系数,对该离子液体进行膜厚、温升、摩擦因数和接触区中心黏度等热弹流润滑数值计算,并与具有相同黏度的普通润滑油的算例进行比较。计算结果显示,离子液体与同黏度润滑油相比具有突出的摩擦学性能,体现在离子液体在较宽速度和滑滚比范围内有非常低的温升和摩擦因数,而膜厚仍保持在同黏度润滑油的40%以上。离子液体的这种热弹流特性主要归因于其较低的黏压系数。     

Molecular interaction originating from polar functional group in lubricants and its relationship with their traction property under elastohydrodynamic lubrication

The correlation between molecular interaction and traction properties was investigated using a traction tester and in situ observation of elastohydrodynamic lubrication film with a micro‐Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The sample oils used were polypropylene glycols (PPGs) with the end‐group of alcohol or ether and a synthetic hydrocarbon oil, poly‐α‐olefin. From the traction tests, it was found that the traction coefficient of PPG was sensitive to the end‐group. PPG with alcohol as the end‐group showed a higher traction coefficient than that with the ether group. In situ observation with a micro‐Fourier transform infrared was performed in order to investigate the molecular interaction of the lubricant oil. It was found that the hydrogen bonding of hydroxyl groups in PPG was strengthened by high pressure in the Hertzian contact region. These results suggest that the rheological properties in the elastohydrodynamic lubrication contact region were affected by the strengthened hydrogen bonding. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A multi-scale model for friction in cold rolling of aluminium alloy

A simple and robust friction model is proposed for cold metal rolling in the mixed lubrication regime, based on physical phenomena across two length scales. At the primary roughness scale, the evolution of asperity contact area is associated with the asperity flattening process and hydrodynamic entrainment between the roll and strip surfaces. The friction coefficient on the asperity contacts is related to a theoretical oil film thickness and secondary-scale roll surface roughness. The boundary friction coefficient at the “true” asperity contacts is associated with tribo-chemical reactions between fresh metal, metal oxide, boundary additives, the tool and any transfer layer on the tool. The asperity friction model is verified by strip drawing simulations under thin film lubrication conditions with a polished tool, taking the fitting parameter of the boundary lubrication friction factor on the true contact areas equal to 0.1. Predicted values of average friction coefficient, using a boundary friction factor in the range 0.07–0.1, are in good agreement with measurements from laboratory and industrial rolling mill trials.     

润湿性梯度集油表面制备及摩擦性能研究*

为了解决润滑油发生迁移，使接触面润滑油中断，导致润滑失效的问题，制备一种具有高集油性能的疏油-亲油-疏油的梯度表面。采用化学气相沉积的方法，在硅片表面沉积一层单分子膜，并采用接触角测量仪、UMT摩擦磨损试验机、共聚焦显微镜等对该样品进行表征，研究该类表面在限量供油条件下的润滑性能。结果表明：将油滴滴在疏油/亲油交界处，油滴能够迅速地从疏油区域向亲油区域运动；点接触往复运动摩擦实验结果表明，梯度表面硅片的摩擦因数明显低于原始的硅片，且梯度表面硅片的表面磨痕深度比原始硅片浅。各种实验结果表明，所制备的疏油-亲油-疏油梯度表面能够起到集油的作用，避免了润滑油中断的问题。     

Experimental Investigation of Lubrication Film Starvation of Polyalphaolefin Oil at High Speeds

The lubrication behavior of starved elastohydrodynamic contacts at high speeds was investigated in this study. A new ball-on-disc test rig with the ability to measure traction force at high speeds up to 100 m/s and lubrication film thickness at speeds up to 42 m/s was built. The relative optical interference intensity technique was used to measure the film thickness. The experimental results show that the film thickness decreased rapidly and asymmetrically when the speed exceeded a critical speed under the starved lubrication condition. Starvation is governed by the amount of lubricant available both in the inlet region and on the side of the oil reservoir. The shape of the oil reservoir becomes asymmetric and the amount of oil gradually reduces against the speed at high speeds because of the centrifugal effects, under which the oil on the outer side of the oil reservoir will be thrown away and the oil on the inner side of the oil reservoir will be compressed. The balance of oil supply and oil loss due to centrifugal force determines the starvation behavior.     

Study on Starved Lubrication Performance of a Cycloid Drive

The lubrication performance of cycloid drives affects the dynamic characteristics, mechanical efficiency, and contact fatigue behavior. Starved lubrication performance of a cycloid gear drive is studied using a numerical thermo-starved elastohydrodynamic lubrication model. The parameter of the inlet oil film thickness is chosen to represent the starvation degree. Effects of the inlet film thickness on the central film thickness, friction coefficient, frictional power loss, starting position of the effective film thickness, and lubrication efficiency are investigated. The optimum inlet film thickness is defined and is calculated under different rolling–sliding ratios, speeds, and loads. Finally, the optimum inlet film thickness during the meshing process of a cycloid drive is calculated.     

Influence of temperature distributions in EHL film on its thickness under high slip ratio conditions

This paper describes the influence of temperature rise of oil film in Hertzian contact area on the film thickness or profile under high slip ratio conditions. Temperatures of both surfaces of a ball and a disk as well as average temperature across the oil film were measured by means of an improved infrared. Two kinds of optical band-pass filters were used to separate the radiations from the ball surface and the oil film through an infrared transparent disk made of sapphire glass. In case of temperature measurement of the disk surface, another sapphire glass disk was coated with 300 nm chromium layer on the contact surface to radiate the infrared from the disk surface and also to intercept the radiation from the ball surface and the oil film. Temperature profiles across the oil film were estimated by assuming a parabolic profile with the measured three kinds of temperatures.For case within 200% in slip ratio, both minimum and central film thickness decreased under constant entrainment velocity as slip ratio increased. Measured film shapes were not flat at central Hertzian contact region under high-slip condition and differed from the results by the conventional EHD theory assuming constant viscosity in the direction of film thickness. The profile of Couette flow varied due to the distribution of oil film temperature in thickness direction. The viscosity wedge action, that is the variation of the profile of Couette flow causes reduction of film thickness or deformation of film profile. For case over 200% in slip ratio, the relation between central film thickness and slip ratio under constant relative slide speed had a great difference from the results calculated from the formula presented by Chittenden et al.     

Behavior of real roughness features within mixed lubricated non-conformal contacts

A combination of thin film colorimetric interferometry and phase shifting interferometry was used to study the effect of slide-to-roll ratio on the micro-elastohydrodynamic action and asperity-contact mechanism on the real asperity scale. The behavior of the roughness features of different scales in very thin film, real rough surface elastohydrodynamic contacts was observed from chromatic interferograms evaluated by thin film colorimetric interferometry. Obtained film thickness distribution was compared with undeformed ball surface topography measured by phase shifting interferometry. It was confirmed that the presence of deep grooves within lubricated contact can result in lubrication film breakdown under positive slide-to-roll ratio conditions when the rough surface is moving slower than the smooth surface. Negative slide-to-roll ratio conditions are much less critical from this point of view. Moreover, shallow pits formed naturally on rubbing surface as a result of surface finishing process were observed to significantly influence the film thickness formation. They act as lubricant micro-reservoirs and emit the lubricant into the contact under rolling/sliding conditions that enlarges film thickness. Such a behavior also suggests the possible beneficial tribological effect of surface texturing based on shallow micro-cavities under mixed lubrication of non-conformal surfaces.     

Basics of mixed lubrication

This paper reviews recent research in mixed lubrication, focusing on the current understanding of lubricant entrainment, and thus film thickness, and of friction in thin‐film, rough‐surface lubricated contacts. By combining research using optical interferometry on the experimental side and numerical modelling on the theoretical side, we now have a reasonable understanding of micro‐elastohydrodynamic lubrication, although design rules are still lacking. The regime of true mixed lubrication, where there are both elastohydrodynamic and boundary lubricated regions within a single contact, remains quite poorly understood. New experimental techniques as well as new information about very thin‐film rheology under high‐strain and high‐pressure conditions are probably needed before much further progress can be made in this area.     

The influence of the slide-to-roll ratio on the friction coefficient and film thickness of EHD point contacts under steady state and transient conditions

The effect of different slide-to-roll ratios has been experimentally investigated under steady state and transient conditions using a steel ball in contact with the plane surface of a glass disc. Under transient conditions the entraining velocity has been varied with a sinusoidal law at two different frequencies. Measurements of the friction force and film thickness using optical interferometry have been made.For the same working conditions, different friction coefficient trends found for positive and negative slide-to-roll ratios can be related to different film thickness values and shapes. The combination of different thermal effects could be a possible explanation for the obtained results.     

A numerical study of fatigue life in non-Newtonian thermal EHL rolling–sliding contacts with spinning

This paper presents a study on fatigue life in non-Newtonian thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication (TEHL) point contacts with spinning. A numerical procedure is developed and extended to rolling contact fatigue (RCF) life. The results show that the effect of entraining velocity on the RCF life is closely related to ellipticity. The RCF life first decreases steeply and then gradually with increase in slide–roll ratio. However, the RCF life may increase slightly at a large slide–roll ratio. Spinning is beneficial for reduction of longitudinal friction coefficient; however, even for smooth surface contact, the RCF life can be slightly reduced by spinning.     

Film thickness in a ball-on-disc contact lubricated with greases,bleed oils and base oils

Three different lubricating greases and their bleed and base oils were compared in terms of film thickness in a ball-on-disc test rig through optical interferometry. The theoretical values calculated according to Hamrock's equation are in close agreement with the base oil film thickness measurements, which validates the selected experimental methodology.The grease and bleed oil film thickness under fully flooded lubrication conditions presented quite similar behaviour and levels. Therefore, the grease film thickness under full film conditions might be predicted using their bleed oil properties, namely the viscosity and pressure-viscosity coefficient. The base and bleed oil lubricant parameter LP are proportional to the measured film thickness.A relationship between grease and the corresponding bleed oil film thickness was evidenced.