Thermal elastohydrodynamic analysis of circular contacts Part 2: Non-Newtonian model

Abstract

The numerical developments described in Part 1 are extended to incorporate the consideration of non-Newtonian effects, and fully coupled solutions of the thermal non-Newtonian elastohydrodynamic lubrication point contact problem are presented. The numerical findings are compared with a series of experimental results performed by Cann and Spikes with a steel-sapphire point contact in pure sliding conditions. Fair agreement with the experimental results is obtained in terms of surface temperature. Comparison of the results under identical conditions but with a steel-steel contact is also undertaken and shows that a steel-sapphire contact represents a good simulator of a steel-steel contact in terms of temperature and film thickness. The influence of the viscosity relationship is also considered and reveals that the Yasutomi et al. equation leads to only a marginal difference compared with the Roelands equation for the cases considered.