Lubricants and lubrication
The last ten years of research on various aspects of
lubrication have shown markedly different approaches. In
hydrodynamics, the emphasis has been on detailed
developments, rather than fundamental understanding:
work on boundary lubrication seems to have been oriented
mainly to specific problems or problem areas, such as high
temperature lubrication. In elastohydrodynamic
lubrication, however, the picture is somewhat different:
optical studies of EHL trims, infra-red temperature
measurements, the study of point contacts, and the
elucidation of the effective solidification of lubricants have
greatly improved our understanding of events in elasto-
hydrodynamic contacts.
Major developments in lubricant formulation appear to
have been in cutting fluids, fire resistant hydraulic fluids,
traction lubricants, and synthetic hydrocarbon oils and
greases. Improvements have been made in other fields, for
example polyurea greases and borate gear oils. In general,
however, these improvements appear to have been
refinements rather than fundamental new developments.
Hydrodynamic lubrication
There are those who would assert that the paper "On the
Theory of Lubrication and its Application to Mr.
BEAUCHAMP TOWER'S Experiments, including an
Experimental Determination of the Viscosity of Olive Oil",
presented not only the first but the most recent
fundamental development in the field of lubrication
hydrodynamics! This is indeed a tenable view. In assessing
recent developments in the field it becomes apparent that
no major fundamental steps forward have been taken. This
observation is at first sight surprising, but is seen in a
different light when Reynolds' assumptions are carefully
studied, and the areas in which tribologists might 'gild the
lily' of hydrodynamics are highlighted.
Substantial application of derived data to design problems
has, however, been seen since the advent of the digital
computer and the launching of tribology. Industry has
been served with detailed design information to assist in its
application problems relating not only to fluid film bearings
but also to other hydrodynamically lubricated machine
elements such as seals and piston rings.
The derivation and use of Reynolds' equation involves
assumptions relating to cavitation, fluid inertia forces, and
non-laminar flow effects. Recent developments in these
areas will be mentioned. It will be recognized that a
number of other aspects could have merited attention (eg
slip flow, gravitational, and surface roughness effects);
lack of space, however, precludes their consideration.
Cavitation: recent studies of film rupture and reformation,
particularly for lightly loaded tribological contacts, have
highlighted a lack of physical understanding of the details
of the processes involved. Film separation has been shown
to be important in at least some circumstances. For both
steadily and dynamically loaded bearings, work is
10 TRIBOLOGY international February 1978
progressing in the area of the numerical application of
alternative rupture and reformation boundary conditions to
those normally employed.
Fluid inertia forces: an increasing number of industrial
applications in which convective inertia forces are
important, and the availability of the digital computer,
have stimulated developments in this area. Techniques for
estimating the effects of fluid inertia in developed thin film
flows have been evolved and applied, and the flow across
steps, in bearing drain grooves and at inlet to lubricant
films, has been studied. Some useful data has been
obtained, but it is difficult to generalize this for wider
application.
Non-laminar flows: the use of process fluids as lubricants
has resulted in an increase in the number of bearings
operating in super-laminar flow regimes. The empircaUy
based techniques developed for more general fluid
mechanics situations have been applied to thin film flows
and a 'turbulent' Reynolds' equation derived and applied in
design processes. Possibly the area in which the most
improved fundamental understanding of lubrication hydro-
dynamics has occurred is in vortex flows. Here, however,
the interpretation is changing rapidly and the application to
design is less certain than with more turbulent flow
situations.
Lubrication hydrodynamicists are concerned not only with
the equations representing conservation of mass and
momentum, but now frequently deal with th e equations
enabling analysis of energy dissipation in the fluid, heat
conduction in the bounding solids, and thermal and elastic
distortions of these solids. The last decade has seen much
work of this kind: the complexity, however, usually means
that generalization of data obtained for one specific case
of, say, thermohydrodynamic lubrication to other
situations is not possible. The consideration of elastic
deformations strictly speaking comes under the purview of
elastohydrodynamics, which many tend to think of solely
in terms of counterformal contacts with highly elastic
materials. This view, however, overlooks recent work on
compliant surface bearings and shell bearings where
attendant distortions are not associated with any viscosity
enhancing effect.
C.M. Taylor
Elastohydrodynamics
The way in which the elastic deformation of the surfaces
and the increase in viscosity of the fluid with pressure
combine to provide an effective lubricant film in
concentrated contacts was well established ten years ago.
Dowson and Higginsons' book on 'Elastohydrodynamic
Lubrication,2 o had been published;their formula for film
thickness in line contact and Archard's empirircal formula
for point contacts 2 1 were widely quoted. This work has
C.Mo Taylor, The University, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK