Influences of the Flow Speed and the Micro-Texture Deepness on the Hydrodynamic Lubrication Characteristics

Abstract

The wide use of textured surfaces in lubrication to improve lubrication and tribological characteristics has been remarked recently. The understanding of the textured surface geometric parameters influences on these characteristics could help to improve their applications in industry. This paper presents analyzes the influences of the flow speed and the texture deepness on the lubrication hydrodynamic characteristics (shear stress and friction coefficient). Considering that the loads are only exerted by the fluid on the faces of texture (no external force applied), a theoretical relation has been established between the texture deepness and the shear stress. The numerical simulation, using the software "Solidworks flow simulation," has been also driven, on a Wenzel model of micro-asperity, with the conditions of no-slip at the upper surface and slip on the micro-asperities faces. The shear stress, friction coefficient and pressure have been plotted using different values of speed and texture deepness and then analyzed. A significant reduction of friction coefficient with the increase of speed and also with the increase of deepness has been observed.

Influences of the Textured Surface Micro-Texture Depth on the Friction Coefficient

“…This study allowed us to understand the influences of the micro-dimples' depth on the friction coefficient. The obtained results from this experiment confirm the obtained results from the numerical simulation [9]. The results are also confirmed in some other experimental studies [10].…”