Multiscale mixed hydrodynamics in line contacts

Abstract

In the hydrodynamic line contact, there is a very thin layer physically adsorbed to the solid surface. When the surface separation is sufficiently small, the Hertzian contact zone will be completely filled with the boundary layer, while in most of the inlet zone still occurs continuum hydrodynamics, which lies between the mated adsorbed layers. The present paper studies this mixed hydrodynamics by a multiscale analysis. The boundary layer flows are simulated by the flow factor approach model. The intermediate continuum fluid flow is simulated by the continuum fluid model. The flow equations are given respectively for the boundary layers and for the intermediate continuum fluid. The final governing equation has been obtained relating the surface separation to the solid surface speeds and the carried load. The calculation results show that for a high rolling speed the hydrodynamic behavior in the contact agrees with the classical hydrodynamic theory; however for a critically low rolling speed it gives the surface separation greatly higher than that calculated from the classical hydrodynamic theory, showing the significant adsorbed layer effect.