Analytical solution to a mode of mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication with mixed contact regimes: Part II—Considering the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone

Abstract

The present paper presents the researches succeeding the first part of the paper [Y.B. Zhang, Analytical Solution to A Mode of Mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication with Mixed Contact Regimes: Part I—Without Consideration of Contact Adhering Layer in the Inlet Zone. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2006, Vol.117, (10.1016/j.molliq.2006.04.006)], which analyzed one mode of mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication with mixed contact regimes for the relatively heavy load and low rolling speed which make the conventional hydrodynamic lubrication occur in the inlet zone while make the physical adsorbed layer boundary lubrication occur in the Hertzian zone, based on the Newtonian fluid model. The present paper presents analysis to other two modes of mixed EHL with mixed contact regimes for relatively heavy loads, low rolling speeds and Newtonian fluids, where the conventional hydrodynamic lubrication, physical adsorbed layer boundary lubrication and oxidized chemical layer boundary lubrication can simultaneously occur in the inlet zone while the oxidized chemical layer boundary lubrication or the fresh metal-oxidized chemical boundary layer dry contact occur in the Hertzian zone, considering the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone. The present analysis is also extended to the first mode of mixed EHL with mixed contact regimes as analyzed in Part I [Y.B. Zhang, Analytical Solution to A Mode of Mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication with Mixed Contact Regimes: Part I—Without Consideration of Contact Adhering Layer in the Inlet Zone. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2006, Vol.117, (10.1016/j.molliq.2006.04.006)] when the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone is considered. Results of contact pressures, film thicknesses, load partitions in the contact and characteristic rolling speeds for approaching to zero averaged hydrodynamic film thickness in the Hertzian zone are obtained from this analysis respectively as functions of the contact adhering layer thickness in the inlet zone. The results show that the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone in the present EHL is reduced with the increase of load; At large loads, this effect may be negligible; At small loads, it may be very significant. The results also show that at low rolling speeds, when the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone is considered, the load-carrying capacity of the present EHL contact is increased especially for small loads. This means that at low rolling speeds the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone may reduce the elastohydrodynamic lubrication deviation from classical EHL theory predictions especially for small loads.