The underlying theory, in this paper, is based on clear physical arguments related to conservation of mass flow and considers both incompressible and compressible fluids. The result of the mathematical modeling is a system of equations with two unknowns, which are related to the hydrodynamic pressure and the degree of saturation of the fluid. Discretization of the system leads to a linear complementarity problem (LCP), which easily can be solved numerically with readily available standard methods and an implementation of a model problem in matlab code is made available for the reader of the paper. The model and the associated numerical solution method have significant advantages over today's most frequently used cavitation algorithms, which are based on Elrod-Adams pioneering work
In most theoretical studies carried out to date on the effect of surface roughness in elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) one surface is considered smooth and one as being rough. In real tribological contacts however, both surfaces normally have similar roughness heights. When modelling a rolling contact it is possible to simply sum the roughness of the two contact surfaces but in a sliding EHL contact, a continuously changing effective surface roughness occurs. The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of elementary surface features such as dents and ridges on the film thickness and pressure. This was done numerically using transient non-Newtonian simulations of an EHL line contact using a coupled smoother combined with a multilevel technique. Four different "overtaking" phenomena were investigated; ridge-ridge, dent-ridge, ridge-dent, and dent-dent. It was shown that the minimum film-thickness produced by a ridge is further reduced in a dent-ridge overtaking event. The squeeze effect seen in the ridge-ridge case resulted in large deformations and film-thickness heights comparable to the corresponding smooth case just before the overtaking event occurred. These local effects arising from simulating two-sided roughness were compared to simulations using a traditional "one-sided rough surface contacting a perfectly smooth surface.".
To increase the hydrodynamic performance in different machine elements during lubrication, e.g. journal bearings and thrust bearings, it is important to understand the influence of surface roughness. In this connection one encounters different approaches commonly based on some form of the Reynolds equation. They may generally be divided into deterministic- and averaging- techniques. The former regards all surface roughness information and provides a detailed understanding of the local effects that arise. The latter method is suitable when investigating how the surface roughness affects performance of the machine element as a whole. Homogenization is a rigorous mathematical concept that when applied to a certain problem may be thought of as an averaging technique also providing information about local effects. In this work the compressible time dependent Reynolds equation is homogenized. Related problems have recently been analyzed by homogenization techniques under various assumptions. In the present paper the compressibility is modeled assuming a constant lubricant bulk modulus. The formal method of multiple scale expansion is used to derive a so-called homogenized equation and a numerical solution method to solve both the deterministic problem and the homogenized problem is implemented. The numerical results clearly show that the solution of the homogenized equation is a suitable approximation to the solution of the deterministic problem. It is also demonstrated that for small values of the roughness wavelength, the homogenization technique is superior, since the solution of the deterministic problem requires an extremely fine discretization mesh. More over, the solution of the time dependent homogenized problem may in some cases be reduced to solve a stationary problem that facilitates the solution process and interpretation of results.
Of the medals awarded at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, 24% were for events involving cross-country skiing, the biathlon and Nordic combined. Although much research has focused on physiological and biomechanical characteristics that determine success in these sports, considerably less is yet known about the resistive forces. Here, we specifically describe what is presently known about ski-snow friction, one of the major resistive forces. Today, elite ski races take place on natural and/or machine-made snow. Prior to each race, several pairs of skis with different grinding and waxing of the base are tested against one another with respect to key parameters, such as how rapidly and for how long the ski glides, which is dependent on ski-snow friction. This friction arises from a combination of factors, including compaction, plowing, adhesion, viscous drag, and water bridging, as well as contaminants and dirt on the surface of and within the snow. In this context the stiffness of the ski, shape of its camber, and material composition and topography of the base exert a major influence. An understanding of the interactions between these factors, in combination with information concerning the temperature and humidity of both the air and snow, as well as the nature of the snow, provides a basis for designing specific strategies to minimize ski-snow friction. In conclusion, although performance on “narrow skis” has improved considerably in recent decades, future insights into how best to reduce ski-snow friction offer great promise for even further advances.
In this way all the height information of the surface profile is preserved and not only a few parameters, like Ra, Rq, Rz, Rsk, etc. The aim of this work is to investigate how classes of surfaces based on a single Abbott curve perform in terms of contact mechanical parameters like the real area of contact. The result shows that surfaces taken from a class of random surfaces generated from a specific Abbott curve behaves similar in a contact mechanics simulation. That is, the distribution of for example the real area of contact within such a class is compact, having a small deviation from its mean.This implies that it is possible to simulate classes of surfaces based on Abbott curves and to use the results to predict contact mechanical properties of real surface topographies.
A model to be used for numerical simulation of the contact of linear elastic perfectly plastic rough surfaces was developed. Energy dissipation due to plastic deformation is taken into account. Spectral theory and an FFT-techique are used to facilitate the numerical solution process. Results of simulations using four two-dimensional profiles with different topographies in contact with a rigid plane for a number loads are reported. From the results it is clear that the real area of contact (Ar) changes almost linearly with load and is only slightly affected by the difference in topography. A plasticity index is defined as the ratio of plastically deformed area (Ap) and Ar. Plastic deformation occurs even at low loads and there is a significant difference in plasticity index between the surface profiles considered. An investigation on how the spectral content of the surface profile influences the results presented is also performed. This is to ensure that the metrological limitations of the optical profiler used to measure the surfaces do not have a significant influence. It is concluded that the highest frequencies of the measured profile have a negligible influence on the real area of contact.
During the operation of hydrodynamically lubricated devices a fully formulated lubricant has the ability to form layers at the surfaces. A friction modifier's task is to adjust the interaction between lubricant and the surface so that friction is lowered. An antiwear additive creates a protective layer on the surface and this definitely influence the performance of the lubricated device. To gain fundamental understanding, models that address the modified liquid - solid interaction due to the formation of layers, but also models that may be used to study the effects of layers already formed on the contacting surfaces are required. In this paper, two non-Newtonian lubricant rheology models that may be used to simulate reacted layers resembling those created by lubricant additives are adopted for the simulation of the piston ring - cylinder liner lubrication problem. The possibility of layer to layer interaction, which is likely to occur in the convex conjunction between the ring and the liner, is considered and this extends the models found in the literature. The effects induced by this type of layering are studied by using a modified Reynolds' equation where the coefficients have been corrected with factors that accounts for the layer properties. This enables, effectively, studies of layers resembling those created by lubricant additives during the operation of the lubricated conjunction between a piston ring and a cylinder liner.
During the operation of hydrodynamically lubricated devices a fully formulated lubricant has the ability to form layers at the surfaces. Such layers alter the interaction between the lubricant and the surface that definitely will influence the performance of the lubricated device.To gain fundamental understanding, models that address the formation of layers and the altered liquid – solid interaction, but also models that may be used to study the effects of existing layers are required. In this paper, non-Newtonian lubricant rheology models that may be used to resemble layers of variable shear strength – wall-slip specifically – are considered for the simulation of the piston ring - cylinder liner lubrication problem.The effects induced by this type of layering are studied by using a modified Reynold’s equation where the coefficients have been corrected with factors that accounts for layer properties. This enables, effectively, studies of immobile layers as well as wall-slip in the lubricated conjunction between a piston ring and a cylinder liner.
When simulating elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL), the Reynolds equation is the predominating partial differential equation for prediction of the fluid flow. Also very few attempts have been carried out using the full momentum and continuity equations separately. The aim of this investigation is to compare two different approaches for simulation of EHL line contacts where a single ridge travels through an EHL conjunction. One of the approaches is based on the Reynolds equation, addressing the coupling between the pressure and the film thickness. The solver uses the advantages of multilevel techniques to speed up the convergence rate. The other approach is based on commercial CFD software. The software uses the momentum and continuity equations in their basic form, enabling numerical simulations outside the contact regions, as well as in the thin film region to be carried out. The numerical experiments show that, under the running conditions chosen, only small deviations between the two approaches can be observed. The results are encouraging from several viewpoints: validation of the codes, the possibilities of further developments of the CFD approach and the justification of using a Reynolds approach under the running conditions chosen
The objective of the present research is to verify a THD model of hydrodynamic thrust bearings. The developed model of a pivoted pad bearing, which can tilt both radially and circumferentially, allows for three-dimensional temperature distribution in the oil film and in the pad, as well as two-dimensional temperature variation in the runner. Viscosity and density are treated as functions of both temperature and pressure. Experiments have been performed on a test rig, containing two identical equalizing pivoted pad thrust bearings. Power loss, runner temperature, and pressure profiles as a function of load and rotational speed are compared for both theoretical and experimental investigations. Fairly good agreement has been found when the oil inlet temperature and heat transfer coefficients have been estimated in order to get the same runner temperature in both theory and experiment.
The objective of this paper is to investigate the flow in a lubricant film on the surface roughness scale and to compare the numerical solutions obtained by two different solution approaches. This is accomplished firstly by the CFD-approach (computational fluid dynamic approach) where the momentum and continuity equations are solved separately, and secondly the Reynolds equation approach, which is a combination and a simplification of the above equations. The rheology is assumed to be both Newtonian and non-Newtonian. An Eyring model is used in the non-Newtonian case. The result shows that discrepancies between the two approaches may occur, primarily due to a singularity which appears in the momentum equations when the stresses in the lubricant attain magnitudes that are common in EHL. This singularity is not represented by the Reynolds equation. If, however, the rheology is shifted to a non-Newtonian Eyring model the deviations between the two solution approaches is removed or reduced. The second source of discrepancies between the two approaches is the film thickness to wavelength scale ω. It will be shown that the Reynolds equation is valid until this ratio is approximately O(10-2).
The complicated nature of the EHL-problem has so far forced researchers to develop their own computer codes. These codes are ultimately based on the Reynolds equation, and if thermal EHL-simulations are required, a simultaneous solution of the equation of energy also has to be performed. To date only a few attempts to solve the full equations of momentum and continuity as well as equations of energy have been performed. However, such an approach will give extended possibilities of simulating EHL-contacts; i.e. the computational domain can be expanded and it will be possible to simulate the flow, not only in the contact but also around the contact. Another possibility is to investigate how the altering length scales of the surface roughness influence the behaviour of the flow in the contact. However, the aim of the work presented in this paper is to investigate the possibilities of using a commercial CFD-code (computational fluid dynamics code) based on the above-mentioned equations for simulating thermal EHL. The rheology is assumed to be Newtonian and the equations of momentum and continuity are then commonly referred to as the Navier-Stokes equations (N-S equations). The geometry chosen for the simulations is a smooth line contact geometry, for which the results from the simulations show that it is possible to use the N-S equations for thermal EHL for contact pressures up to approximately 0.7 GPa. The code used in this work is the commercial CFD software (CFX 4.3 user guide). There is a limitation in the N-S approach due to a singularity that can occur in the equation of momentum when the principal shear stresses in the film become too high. However, a thermal approach makes it possible to simulate EHL-contacts at higher loads compared with an isothermal approach, due to the reduction of the viscosity in the former approach. The singularity is not present in the Reynolds approach.
Reynolds equation is the pre-dominantly used PDE for modelling the fluid flow or more accurately the fluid pressure in an elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) contact. The equation is derived by combining the two conservation equations of momentum and continuity into a single equation for the fluid pressure. The numerical approach for theoretical investigations performed on EHL contacts in this work is somewhat different. The modelling of the fluid flow is based on a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) technique. The fluid flow is simulated by aid of the equations of momentum and continuity in a more complete form and when the thermodynamics is incorporated, the equation of energy. The aim of the investigation was to examine whether the CFD technique could be used to handle thermal transient rough EHL line contacts. It is shown that commercial CFD software can be modified to meet such requirements. The influence of thermal effects on the flow under sliding motion was investigated. The non-Newtonian model used in this work is the Ree-Eyring model. It is shown that the choice of the Eyring stress in the model influences flow in the contacts. If the thermal properties of the surrounding solids differ, it has been shown experimentally and theoretically that a dimple or increased central film thickness may appear in the EHL contacts. This work shows that the governing mechanisms that result in the dimple are also present in thermal transient rough EHL line contacts.
A wear model including a deterministic FFT-accelerated contact mechanical tool to calculate pressure and elastic-plastic deformation, is employed to simulate the time dependent wear in a sphere on flat contact. The results of the wear simulations compared to experimental results from a reciprocating test in a ball on disk tribometer. The conditions of the simulations and the experiments are independently adjusted to match up. Similarities and differences shows upon the usefulness and limitation of wearmodelling of this type.
By using a deterministic FFT-accelerated contact mechanical tool to calculate pressure and elastic-plastic deformation, a wear model is utilized to simulate the time dependent wear from a sphere on at contact. The results of the simulated wear are compared to experimental results form a SRV ball on disk tribometer, from which worn surfaces are optically measured. The conditions of the simulation and the experiments are independently adjusted to match. Agreement and diversity shows upon the usefulness and limitation of wear modeling of this type.
A model for tribofilm growth is developed. The model is used in combination with numerical contact mechanics tools to enable evaluation of the combined effects of chemistry and contact mechanics. The model is tuned with experimental data and is thereafter applied to rough surfaces. The growth of the tribofilm is evaluated for 3 different contact cases and short-term tribofilm growth behaviour is analyzed. The results show how tribofilms grow in patches. The model is expected to be used as a tool for analysis of the interaction between rough surfaces.
The piston ring–cylinder liner contact is a major source of the total parasitic losses in an internal combustion engine. The lubrication process of this contact highly influences the amount of friction, oil consumption and wear that occurs. In this work, a reciprocating test rig combined with an ultrasonic film thickness measurement system was developed and then used for tribological investigation of the piston ring–cylinder liner contact under idealised cold conditions. A special piston ring and cylinder liner holder were designed and five sensors were glued on to the back side of the liner specimen. Ultrasonic reflections captured by the sensors, used to obtain the film thickness, and friction were continuously recorded as the piston ring section reciprocated over the liner. Several experiments were performed at different speed and load conditions. Furthermore, a numerical model has been developed to predict film thickness and friction in all lubrication regimes. The experimentally measured film thickness and friction were compared with the output from the numerical model and good correlation was found. The parameters affecting the accuracy of the ultrasound measurements and numerical simulations of film thickness and friction are then discussed.
Progress in the classical field of EHL has for decades been paralyzed by the assumption that shear thinning should be indistinguishable from the shear dependence of the viscosity of a liquid heated by viscous dissipation and that the parameters of this simple shear dependence can be obtained from the shape of a friction curve. In the last few years, by abandoning this assumption and employing real viscosity measured with viscometers, there has been revolutionary progress in predicting film thickness and friction. Now, Spikes and Jie conclude that the previous assumption has as much merit as the use of viscosity measured in viscometers. This suggestion may be popular among those who wish to ignore viscometer measurements in favor of extracting properties from friction curves. However, within the subject article, there are numerous misstatements of fact and misrepresentations by omission, and the recent progress using real viscosity is not acknowledged. The debate has degenerated into a friction curve fitting competition which is not helpful. The great progress of the last few years would not have been possible using the concepts and methods espoused in this article
The friction characteristics and performance of wet clutches have been investigated by several authors. Studies have also been made to understand the frictional performance during the service life of the clutch system. However, most lifetime studies have been conducted for systems with paper-based friction material so that systems using sintered bronze friction material remain largely unexplored. To study the friction performance of how these systems can vary over time, the friction characteristics for a clutch system using lubricants aged in three different ways were compared. The effects on friction characteristics resulting from oxidation of the lubricant, reduced additive concentration, and ageing under real operating conditions in a wet clutch test rig were studied. The oxidation effects on friction characteristics were examined using a modified waterless turbine oil oxidation stability test on a fully formulated lubricant. Five oxidation time periods from 48 to 408 h were investigated. For each period of oxidation, a friction performance test was run using a pin-on-disc machine. The ageing carried out in a wet clutch test rig is a standard test of a wet clutch systems manufacturer which is used in order to verify that an oil-friction disc combination will last the full service life of the specific application. This test gives a realistic ageing process similar to that in a wet clutch in a field test. Under boundary-lubricated conditions, additives are vital to the performance of wet clutches. Therefore, the effect of reducing the additive concentration in the oil was also studied, in the range of 10 to 100 per cent of the original additive package used in the fully formulated wet clutch lubricant. Results showed that a general friction increase can be observed for oxidation, additive reduction, and test rig ageing. It was also concluded that different methods of simulating the wet clutch ageing process differ and cannot be directly correlated with each other
Extensive research has been performed regarding wet clutch function and performance. Although wet clutches are used in both automatic transmissions and limited slip differentials in cars, most research has been performed for wet clutches incorporated in automatic transmissions. The operating conditions of wet clutches in automatic transmissions differ from the operating conditions of the wet clutches used in limited slip differentials. Therefore, a method and a test bench to use in the investigation of the degradation of limited slip differentials were developed in this work. The typical operating conditions of the limited slip differential and the differences compared with wet clutches incorporated in automatic transmissions were also addressed. Tests performed showed that the developed test bench and method can be used to address differences in frictional response over time for different types of operating condition
The prediction of friction is a challenge for scientists and engineers in a wide variety of applications in industry today. One such an application is the limited slip differential. The friction characteristics of the wet clutch are central to the performance of the limited slip differential system. Frictional changes with aging of the limited slip differential affect both the torque transfer accuracy and the tendencies to vibrations and noise generation due to stick-slip or shudder. Therefore, the objective of this work is to establish a method to predict the frictional changes of aging limited slip differential systems. In this study, a number of experiments were performed to establish a method to predict the changes in boundary friction with time due to aging. Accelerated aging was performed for different sets of operating conditions. Results from the tests were used to establish and verify a model to predict friction increase in limited slip differentials. The method assumes that frictional changes with aging are caused by decreased concentrations of friction modifying additives. The decrease in concentration was assumed to depend on the lubricant bulk temperature according to the Arrhenius equation. The model agreed well with tests performed at operating conditions close to the real operating conditions of the limited slip differential. The developed method can be implemented in a vehicle where it can be used to compensate for frictional changes and to indicate when service should be made.
In the competitive market of the car industry today, companies need to continuously strive to optimize the performance, price and environmental properties of their products in order to survive. Wet clutches, as parts of transmission components of passenger cars are no exception. An understanding of how the wet clutch system functions and fails is necessary to optimize price and service life. The friction characteristics of the wet clutch system are determined by lubricant-surface interactions in the contact between the friction discs. Wet clutch failure can often be associated with the deterioration of friction characteristics which eventually leads to stick-slip or shudder. Consequently, knowledge of why and of how friction characteristics change over time is of the outermost significance to enable the understanding and prediction of wet clutch performance. As the lubricant is an essential component of the wet clutch system, lubricant ageing is a factor of importance. Oxidation, thermal degradation, shearing, additive degradation and water contamination could all be considered to influence lubricant ageing. The aim of this work was therefore to find suitable ways of measuring the remaining useful life of wet clutch lubricants and to correlate changes in friction characteristics with changes in lubricant properties. Both field trials and measurements in a wet clutch test rig were performed. Viscosity, acid number, additive degradation, water contamination, particle content and metal content were measured for the lubricant as it degraded. Particle content results showed a rapid increase early in the ageing process. However, as ageing progressed particle levels actually decreased and this was probably a result of particles slowly grinded between contacting surfaces. On the other hand, metal content increased as ageing progressed, which could indicate slowly progressing wear. Water levels were found to be higher in field trials than in lubricants used in wet clutch test rigs. It is concluded that this was due to the severe and accelerated operating conditions of the wet clutch test rig.
The prediction of the wet-clutch service life still remains a challenge for scientists and engineers. Previous research has shown the significance of the wet-clutch friction characteristics on the driveline dynamics. To avoid driveline vibrations an increasing friction coefficient with increasing sliding speed is desirable. Consequently, prediction of the occurrence of driveline vibrations relies on a detailed knowledge of how the friction characteristics are affected by wet-clutch degradation, as well as an understanding of the driveline dynamics. Wet clutches are used in both automatic transmissions and all-wheel-drive systems in cars, where they are referred to as limited slip couplings by manufacturers. Wet clutches used in automatic transmissions are subjected to high slip levels, but for very limited time periods. In all-wheel-drive systems, where the limited slip coupling can be used to control the torque transfer to, for example, the rear wheels, the slip levels are low but continuous. Most wet-clutch research has been performed for clutches in automatic transmissions and not for clutches used in all-wheel-drive systems. Thus, a simulation model was developed to evaluate how different operating conditions of the limited slip coupling influence degradation of the friction characteristics and the tendencies towards driveline vibrations. First, the changes in the friction characteristics with the time of ageing are simulated. The friction characteristics after ageing are used as the input to a simplified driveline model, which is used to evaluate the occurrence of vibrations. It is shown how the developed simulation model can be used as an efficient tool for engineers. The developed simulation model can be used to predict how the operating conditions for the limited slip coupling influence degradation of the friction characteristics.
In hydropower applications, self-lubricating polymer composite bearings has proven to be a good and environmentally friendly replacement for the traditionally used grease lubricated bronze bearings. However, in recent years, end users have experienced several bearing failures due to more demanding operating conditions due to integration of fluctuating renewable energy sources, e.g. wind and solar power, into the electric power systems.
The aim of this work is to summarize and highlight important findings regarding the influence of various parameters on the tribological behaviour of these bearing materials using a linear reciprocating pin-on-disc configuration.
Results indicates that low sliding speed and high nominal pressure offer the best performance for these bearing materials, with a reduction in frictional loses with up to 45% and almost three times lower wear. Furthermore, friction and wear can be reduced even more by optimizing the surface topography and hardness of the shaft.
To further improve the efficiency of machine components found in automotive engine systems it is important to understand the friction generation in these components. Modelling and simulation of these components are crucial parts of the development process. Accurate simulation of the friction generated in these machine components is, amongst other things, dependent on realistic lubricant rheology and lubricant properties, where especially the latter may change during ageing of the lubricant. Many modern heavy-duty diesel engines are in operation for several hundred hours before the engine oil is changed. In this work, two engine oils, one 10 W-30 and one 5 W-20, have been aged in full heavy-duty diesel engine bench tests for 400 and 470 hours respectively. This roughly corresponds to the amount of ageing these oils are subjected to between oil drains in field conditions. The aged oils were subjected to a number of oil analyses showing, among other things, a maximum increase in oil viscosity of 12.9% for the 5 W-20 oil and 5.5% for the 10 W-30 oil, which is most likely primarily an effect of evaporation and oxidation. The aged oils were tested in a ball-on-disc test rig under elastohydrodynamic conditions where friction was measured and the performance was compared to fresh samples of the same oils. The results show that there is almost no difference in elastohydrodynamic friction when comparing the aged oils with the fresh oils. These results indicate that it is not necessary to include oil ageing in numerical elastohydrodynamic friction models as long as the oil is changed before the ageing has reached a critical level
Numerical modeling of friction in elastohydrodynamically lubricated contacts are of high importance in the development of various types of machine elements such as gears, rolling element bearings and cam followers. The friction generated in the machine elements of a system does not only affect efficiency, but also the dynamics and overall function. Accurate simulation of the friction generated in machine components is, among other things dependent on realistic lubricant properties, which may change during ageing of the lubricant. Many modern machines are in operation for several hundred ours before the oil is changed. In this work, two engine oils, one 10W-30 and one 5W-20, have been aged in full heavy-duty diesel engine bench tests for a duration comparable to the amount of ageing these oils are subjected to between oil drains in field conditions. The aged oils were subjected to several analyses showing, among other things, a maximum increase in viscosity, and a reduction in some additives. Fresh and aged oils were tested in a ball-on-disc test rig under elastohydrodynamic conditions where friction was measured. The results showed almost no difference in elastohydrodynamic friction between the fresh and the aged oils.
The capability to predict elastohydrodynamic film-thickness and friction from primary measurements of transport properties of liquid has been an elusive goal for tribologists for 50 years. Most comparisons between predictions and experiments involve some amount of tuning of the model in order to match the experimental results. In true prediction, this cannot be done since there are normally no experimental results to compare to. Primary measurements of lubricant transport properties of Squalane were performed, and used in a numerical friction prediction model. Afterwards, friction was measured in a ball-on-disc tribotester. No tuning of the lubricant properties, model or test setup were applied. The current work on EHL-friction is therefore a true representation of the current level of EHL-friction prediction.
Reducing friction is of utmost importance to improve efficiency and lifetime of many products used in our daily lives. Thin hard coatings like diamond-like carbon (DLC) have been shown to reduce friction in full-film-lubricated contacts. In this work, it is shown that contrarily to common belief, the friction reduction stems mainly from a thermal phenomenon and not only a chemical/surface interaction one. It is shown that a few micrometer-thin DLC coating can significantly influence the thermal behavior in a lubricated mechanical system. The presented simulations, validated by experiments, show that applying a thin DLC coating to metal surfaces creates an insulating effect that due to the increased liquid lubricant film temperature at the center of the contact, locally reduces lubricant viscosity and thus friction. The results of the investigation show that the addition of thin insulating layers could lead to substantial performance increases in many applications. On a component level, the contact friction coefficient in some common machine components like gears, rolling element bearings, and cam followers can potentially be reduced by more than 40 %. This will most likely open up the way to new families of coatings with a focus on thermal properties that may be both cheaper and more suitable in certain applications than DLC coatings
A coating material made of carbon reduces friction not just by providing a slippery surface, but also by keeping the points of contact warm. Marcus Björling at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden and his team coated steel balls with ``diamond-like-carbon'' - a material in which carbon atoms have a bonding pattern similar to that of diamond. They rolled the balls against a metal disk with an oil lubricant in between, and showed that the carbon coating acts as an insulator, lowering the viscosity of the lubricant and thus reducing the fricion between the ball and the disk. These findings could encourage the development of lubricant coatings made from insulating materials
High hardness, high elastic modulus, low friction characteristics, high wear and corrosion resistance, chemical inertness, and thermal stability are factors that make diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings the subject of many studies. For the same reasons they also seem suitable for use in, amongst others, machine components and cutting tools. While most studies in the literature focus on the influence of coatings on wear and friction in boundary lubrication and pure sliding contacts, few studies can be found concerning rolling and sliding elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) friction, especially in the mixed and full film regime. In this article tests are carried out in a Wedeven Associates Machine tribotester where an uncoated ball and disc pair is compared to the case of coated ball against uncoated disc, coated disc against uncoated ball, and coated disc against coated ball. The tests are conducted at two different temperatures and over a broad range of slide-to-roll ratios and entrainment speeds. The results are presented as friction maps as introduced in previous work (Björling et al. in J Eng Tribol 225(7):671, 2011). Furthermore a numerical simulation model is developed to investigate if there is a possibility that the hard, thin DLC coating is affecting the friction coefficient in an EHL contact due to thermal effects caused by the different thermal properties of the coating compared to the substrate. The experimental results show a reduction in friction coefficient in the full film regime when DLC-coated surfaces are used. The biggest reduction is found when both surfaces are coated, followed by the case when either ball or disc is coated. The thermal simulation model shows a substantial increase of the lubricant film temperature compared to uncoated surfaces when both surfaces are coated with DLC. The reduction in friction coefficient when coating either only the ball or the disc are almost the same, lower than when coating both the surfaces but still higher than the uncoated case. The findings above indicate that it is reasonable to conclude that thermal effects are a likely cause for the decrease in coefficient of friction when operating under full film conditions, and in the mixed lubrication regime when DLC-coated surfaces are used
The application of surface coatings has been shown to reduce friction in elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL), not only in the mixed and boundary regime when asperity interactions occur, but also in the full film regime. Several studies suggest that the full film friction reduction is due to a violation of the no-slip boundary condition and thus slip is taking place between the solid and the liquid. Another hypothesis proposes that the full film friction reduction is due to the low thermal conductivity of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings. In this work, two DLC coatings with the same composition, but different thicknesses, are investigated with uncoated steel specimens as a reference, all with the same surface roughness. Friction tests in a ball-on-disk machine show that both coatings reduce friction compared to the uncoated reference case in full film EHL. The thicker coating is significantly more effective at reducing friction than the thinner one at a maximum friction reduction of 41 % compared to 29 % for the thinner coating. Moreover, contact angle measurements, surface energy measurements, and spreading parameter calculations show no statistically significant differences between the two coatings, suggesting that the friction reduction capabilities of coatings in full film EHL cannot be described by solid-liquid interactions alone. The difference in friction reduction between the specimens in this work is mainly attributed to different thermal properties.
A friction test is conducted in a WAM ball on disc test rig. The output from the test is friction coefficient versus entrainment speed and slide-to-roll ratio presented as a 3D friction map. A number of parameters are varied while studying the friction coefficient; surface roughness, base oil viscosity and EP additive package. Entrainment speed, slide to roll ratio and oil temperature are also varied. The results show that the mapping is efficient in showing the different types of friction that may occur in an EHL contact. The results also show that the friction behaviour can be strongly influenced by changing surface roughness as well as base oil viscosity, EP additive content and operating temperature.
A friction test is conducted in a Wedeven Associates Machine ball-on-disc test rig. The output from the test, friction coefficient versus entrainment speed and slide-to-roll ratio (SRR), is presented as a three-dimensional friction map. A number of parameters are varied while studying the friction coefficient; surface roughness, base oil viscosity, base oil type, and extreme pressure (EP) additive package. Entrainment speed, SRR, and oil temperature are also varied. The results show that the mapping is efficient in showing the different types of friction that may occur in an elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication contact. The results also show that the friction behaviour can be strongly influenced by changing surface roughness as well as base oil viscosity, base oil type, EP additive content, and operating temperature.
Running experiments with full-size gearboxes from the actual application has the advantage of giving realistic results in terms of power losses. The drawback is extensive costs, lengthy testing, and the difficulty in differentiating between load dependent and load independent losses, and which losses are coming from the gears, seals, bearings or synchronizers. In this work, the correlation between friction measurements conducted in a ball-on-disc machine and friction measurements conducted in a back-to-back gear rig is investigated. The correlation between the gear tests and the ball-on-disc tests were reasonably good in terms of absolute values, and the shape of the friction curves were similar, indicating that the ball-on-disc measurements to a large extent are capturing the behavior of the gear contact
A multi-scale flash temperature model has been developed and validated against existing work. The core strength of the proposed model is that it can be adapted to predict flash contact temperatures occurring in various types of sliding systems. In this paper, it is used to investigate how different surface roughness parameters affect the flash temperatures. The results show that for decreasing Hurst exponents as well as increasing values of the high-frequency cut-off, the maximum flash temperature increases. It was also shown that the effect of surface roughness does not influence the average interface temperature. The model predictions were validated against data from an experiment conducted in a pin-on-disc machine. This also showed the importance of including a wear model when simulating flash temperature development in a sliding system.
A multi-scale flash temperature model is validated against existing experimental work. The model shows promising results and proves itself to be a reliable tool for the accurate prediction of the flash temperature development between rough surfaces in sliding systems. Model predictions for the maximum flash temperatures as well as the bulk temperature fields were in very good agreement with the experimentally measured values. The model was also able to accurately predict the formation of hotspots as well as the temperature variations around the hotspots. From the model predictions, it is concluded that it is sufficient to only assess the flash temperatures on a small portion of the contact area and thus save both computational time and memory.