The Contribution of a Sliding Velocity to EHL Film Thickness Distribution

In general contact conditions, the surface velocities are variously oriented, thus the entrainment and sliding velocity act at different directions. The effects of magnitude and direction of the sliding velocity in elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) circular contact have been investigated. Film thickness distribution has been obtained using thin-film colorimetric interferometry. It has been found that direction of sliding velocity with respect to entrainment velocity play a role in film thickness distribution, particularly at high slide-to-roll ratios. A superposition of the effects of a pure rolling and of an opposite sliding has been considered. The pure rolling condition creates typical horse-shoe shaped film, whereas under the opposite sliding condition (i.e. zero entrainment velocity) conical depression in the central area of Hertzian contact called “dimple” has been observed.