Hydrodynamically Lubricated and Grooved Biomimetic Self-Adapting Surfaces

Robert Jackson,Jiang Lei

doi:10.3390/jfb5020078

Robert Jackson, Jiang Lei

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb5020078

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Abstract

In many machines and mechanical components, there is a need for new bearing technologies to reduce friction and wear, and provide precision control of motion when the load is varied. This can be provided by electronically controlled actuators and sensors on the surfaces, but then the system reliability can be an issue. In contrast, biomimetic surfaces can be created that adapt mechanically to variations in load. This work uses numerical methods to research the use of self-adapting surfaces for bearings that are based on the deformable nature of biological materials such as articular cartilage. These surfaces are designed to change their profiles to achieve a desired behavior, without any external control. The surfaces change their profile to control the film height and tilt of the bearing to a near constant value for different loads. If the surfaces are tilted, the grooved self-adapting surfaces will also react with a larger restoring moment than a conventional grooved surface. These surfaces could be beneficial to applications where electrical systems and controls are not feasible.

Highlights

Friction and wear in machine components greatly affect their reliability and efficiency and the integrated systems which employ them
Tribological elements such as synovial joints rely on different mechanisms to generate load-carrying capacity than that used in conventional industrial applications
Using the nonlinear spring force described by Equation (1) the effect of tilt is considered

Summary

Introduction

Friction and wear in machine components greatly affect their reliability and efficiency and the integrated systems which employ them. Power supplied from generators, engines and motors can be lost through friction and wear in the various interacting surfaces of a machine, regardless of its scale. Such interacting surfaces can be found in mechanical components such as bearings, gears, bushings, pistons, and seals. The current work builds on current bearing and sliding surface technologies used to minimize friction and wear between machine component surfaces by researching the use of self-adapting surfaces. This idea stems from the highly efficient and durable tribological surfaces found in biological organisms [1]. Tribological elements such as synovial joints rely on different mechanisms to generate load-carrying capacity than that used in conventional industrial applications

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