Sensitivity of TEHL Simulations to the Use of Different Models for the Constitutive Behaviour of Lubricants

Abstract

This study compares the film thickness, lubricant temperature, and traction curves of two groups of commonly used constitutive models for lubricants in thermo-elastohydrodynamic lubrication (TEHL) modelling. The first group consists of the Tait equation of state, the Doolittle Newtonian viscosity model, and the Carreau shear thinning model. The second group includes the Dowson equation of state, the Roelands–Houpert Newtonian viscosity model, and the Eyring shear thinning model. The simulations were conducted using a Computational Fluid Dynamic and Fluid-Structure Interaction (CFD-FSI) approach, which employs a homogeneous equilibrium model for the flow simulation along with a linear elastic solver to describe the deformation of the solid materials. The simulations were conducted under a load range of 100 kN/m to 200 kN/m and a slide-to-roll-ratio (SRR) range between 0 and 2 using Squalane lubricant. The results show up to a 10% deviation in central film thickness, a 31% deviation in coefficient of friction (CoF), and a 38% deviation in maximum lubricant temperature when using the different constitutive models. This study highlights the sensitivity of TEHL simulation results to the choice of constitutive models for lubricants and the importance of carefully selecting the appropriate models for specific applications.