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New quantitative numerical simulations of the elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) film thickness using realistic pressure and shear-dependent rheology and realistic compressibility have indicated that the dependence of central film thickness upon Hertz pressure (or load) for the classic Newtonian, slightly compressible solution is merely a lower limit with magnitudes three times as great being possible. Experimental measurements of central film thickness employing Hertz pressures from 1.0 to 2.6 GPa confirm that for a neat mineral oil, the classical pressure dependence is accurate, while for two gear oils the experimental pressure dependence is much larger. Sheardependent viscosity is a major factor and compressibility plays a lesser role, while there is evidence that mechanical degradation is also important. New experimental evidence of the enhanced scale sensitivity resulting from shearthinning has also been obtained. These results for the pressure and scale dependence have dire implications for the usual practice of extrapolation of film thickness from experimental measurements at large scale and low pressure using effective pressure-viscosity coefficients. For machines of small scale and high pressure, the extrapolation will sometimes result in substantially overestimated film thicknesses.

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New quantitative numerical simulations of the elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) film forming ability of generalized Newtonian liquids have elucidated a previously unrecognized property of EHL films. The dependency of the film thickness on the scale of the contact is greater when the viscosity is shear dependent within the inlet. Measurements of film thickness were performed in a ball on disc experiment using balls ranging from 5.5 to 35 mm in diameter. Three liquids were investigated with varying shear dependence in the range of stress important to film forming. The experimental results confirm the previous analytical findings. Numerical simulations using the measured viscosities show that the increased scale sensitivity is substantially the result of shear-thinning. However, the smallest scales produced films thinner than even the shear-dependent prediction, possibly indicating molecular degradation. It is quite likely that some machine components, which were designed using the effective viscous properties derived from a larger scale film thickness measurement, are operating with substantially lower film thickness than the designer had intended.Doolittle parameter aHertzian contact radius, m a V thermal expansivity, K -1 E 0

This paper investigates the traction behavior in heavily loaded thermo-elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) line contacts using the Doolittle free-volume equation, which closely represents the experimental viscosity-pressure-temperature relationship and has recently gained attention in the field of EHL, along with Tait’s equation of state for compressibility. The well-established Carreau viscosity model has been used to describe the simple shear-thinning encountered in EHL. The simulation results have been used to develop an approximate equation for traction coefficient as a function of operating conditions and material properties. This equation successfully captures the decreasing trend with increasing slide to roll ratio caused by the thermal effect. The traction-slip characteristics are expected to be influenced by the limiting shear stress and pressure dependence of lubricant thermal conductivity, which need to be incorporated in the future.