A study on lubrication Properties of a Dimple Pattern using an Average Flow Analysis with a Contact Model of Asperities

To evaluate lubrication properties by surface roughness under boundary and mixed lubrication, a new approach is suggested by both asperity flow and contact with stochastic characteristics. Many researchers already have studied the effect of surface roughness on flow. But, it has become important to research of the phenomenon of asperities contact in surfaces because the growth of asperities contact area under heavy load conditions. In this paper, flow factors in the average flow model derived by Patir and Cheng were used, and a multi-asperity contact model was included to calculate lubrication properties of a surface with a randomly generated rough surface. A numerical analysis using the average Reynolds equation with both the average flow model and the asperity contact model was conducted, and the results were compared with those from previous research. The results showed that the influence of asperities on lubrication and the friction coefficient changed rapidly on application of contact model.