A Complete Solution for Thermal-Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication of Line Contacts Using Circular Non-Newtonian Fluid Model

Abstract

A complete solution is obtained for elastohydrodynamically lubricated conjunctions in line contacts considering the effects of temperature and the non-Newtonian characteristics of lubricants with limiting shear strength. The complete fast approach is used to solve the thermal Reynolds equation by using the complete circular non-Newtonian fluid model and considering both velocity and stress boundary conditions. The reason and the occasion to incorporate stress boundary conditions for the circular model are discussed. A conservative form of the energy equation is developed by using the finite control volume approach. Analytical solutions for solid surface temperatures that consider two-dimensional heat flow within the solids are used. A straightforward finite difference method, successive over-relaxation by lines, is employed to solve the energy equation. Results of thermal effects on film shape, pressure profile, streamlines, and friction coefficient are presented.