Study of Scale Effect in a Starved Elastohydrodynamically Lubricated Contact

Abstract

The article describes an experimental investigation of scale effect in a starved elastohydrodynamically lubricated contact on lubricant film thickness. Lubricant film thickness and its distribution is one of the most important parameters determining the performance and life of machine parts. Current experimental and numerical studies are mostly connected with oil lubrication. However, greases are used in more than 80 % of all rolling bearings where the starvation phenomenon occurs most frequently. The aim of this work is to compare two approaches to measuring film thickness of different greases. The use of multiple contacts optical test rig based on thin film colorimetric interferometry for film thickness measurement has enables to obtain film thickness of starved contact and the film distribution. The experimental observation of full-scale model of bearing will help to understand better the behavior of real bearing. The evaluation of the experiment was made by chromatic interferometry. This method is used to measure thin lubrication films.