Boundary Conditions for Elastohydrodynamics of Circular Point Contacts

The paper presents the solution of an elastohydrodynamic point contact condition using inlet and outlet lubricant entrainment with partial counter-flow. The inlet and outlet boundaries are determined using potential flow analysis for the pure rolling of contiguous surfaces. This shows that Swift–Stieber boundary conditions best conform to the observed partial counter-flow at the inlet conjunction, satisfying the compatibility condition. For the outlet region, the same is true when Prandtl–Hopkins boundary conditions are employed. Using these boundary conditions, the predictions conform closely to the measured pressure distribution using a deposited pressure-sensitive micro-transducer in a ball-to-flat race contact. Furthermore, the predicted conjunctional shape closely conforms to the often observed characteristic keyhole conjunction through optical interferometry. The combined numerical–experimental analysis with realistic boundary conditions described here has not hitherto been reported in the literature

Effect of surface topography upon micro-impact dynamics

Often the effect of interactions at nano-scale determines the tribological performance of load bearing contacts. This is particularly the case for lightly loaded conjunctions where a plethora of short range kinetic interactions occur. It is also true of larger load bearing conjunctions where boundary interactions become dominant. At the diminutive scale of fairly smooth surface topography the cumulative discrete interactions give rise to the dominance of boundary effects rather than the bulk micro-scale phenomena, based on continuum mechanics. The integration of the manifold localised discrete interactions into a continuum is the pre-requisite to the understanding of characteristic boundary effects, which transcend the physical length scales and affect the key observed system attributes. These are energy efficiency and vibration refinement. This paper strives to present such an approach. It is shown that boundary and near boundary interactions can be adequately described by surface topographical measures, as well the thermodynamic conditions

Frictional characteristics of molecular length ultra-thin boundary adsorbed films

The paper presents measurements of friction of any ultra-thin film entrained into the contact of a pair of very smooth specimen subjected to entrainment in a converging micro-wedge of a special-purpose micro-tribometer. An ultra-thin film is expected to form at the boundary solids through adsorption of boundary active molecules. Fluids with linear and branched molecules are used in the investigation. It is found that the frictional characteristics of these films can be adequately described through use of Eyring thermal activation energy and a potential energy barrier to sustain conjunctional sliding motion. The combined experimental measurement and the simple activation energy approach shows that the thin molecular adsorbed films act like hydro Langmuir–Blodgett layers, the formation and frictional characteristics of which are affected by the competing mechanisms of adsorption, forced molecular re-ordering and discrete-fashion drainage through the contact by the solvation effect. This process is a complex function of the contact sliding velocity as well as a defined Eyring activation density (packing density of the molecules within the conjunction). It is shown that the contribution of solvation to friction is in the form of energy expended to eject layers of lubricant out of the contact, which unlike the case of micro-scale hydrodynamic films, is not a function of the sliding velocity

Proceedings of First Conference for Engineering Sciences and Technology: Vol. 2

This volume contains contributed articles of Track 4, Track 5 & Track 6, presented in the conference CEST-2018, organized by Faculty of Engineering Garaboulli, and Faculty of Engineering, Al-khoms, Elmergib University (Libya) on 25-27 September 2018. Track 4: Industrial, Structural Technologies and Science Material Track 5: Engineering Systems and Sustainable Development Track 6: Engineering Management Other articles of Track 1, 2 & 3 have been published in volume 1 of the proceedings at this lin