Elastohydrodynamic Behavior of Elliptical Contacts Under Pure Rolling Situations

Abstract

This part is a complimentary work to a previously published work on EHD lubrication behavior under pure sliding and combined rolling and sliding situations. In order to cover all aspects of EHD lubrication, the experimental work has been herein extended to present the results attained when two disks describe a pure rolling motion. A wide range of loads and speeds has been applied to the contacting disks under EHD regimes. The recorded pressure values and distribution confirm the existence of a second peak (spike) near the exit of the contact zone also under pure rolling situation. The spike has a value higher than maximum Hertzian pressure. A local constriction of oil film profile to identify the minimum EHD film thickness at trailing (exit) end of the film is observed to be nearby the location of the pressure spike. The results, compared to theoretical predictions, concluded that under pure rolling conditions, any increase in the applied load results in a corresponding increase in the developed pressure while a noticeable reduction in the minimum film thickness is recorded with decreasing rolling speeds.