An integrated finite volume framework for thermal elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication

Recent advances in computational methods and resources have fuelled numerical studies to explore novel techniques for solving thermal elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication (TEHL) problems. Commercial codes such as those that feature the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approach have gained much attention in the field of tribology due to the ability to tackle the limitations imposed by Reynolds equation assumptions and aptness in modelling complex geometries. However, the computational cost incurred by CFD software is significantly high due to the governing equations involved when solving the most general problem. The present contribution proposes an integrated finite-volume framework to solve TEHL problems to predict the lubrication performance of non-conformal contacts. Fluid flow effects are considered through the generalized Reynolds equation with the p - theta Elrod-Adams mass-conserving cavitation model to ensure the mass flow-rate conservation throughout the lubricated domain. The thermal behaviour of the lubricant film is predicted via the solution of the conservation of energy equation with appropriate boundary conditions for the fluid-solid interfaces. Novel partitioned iterative solution methods are integrated into the framework to handle the strong nonlinearities and improve the convergence of the coupled system of equations. Thermal and isothermal cases are presented and compared to results generated by existing CFD solvers and other experimental data to validate the proposed framework.