A quantitative analysis of double-sided surface waviness on TEHL line contacts

In this paper, the effects of double-sided surface waviness on Thermo-Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication (TEHL) in line contacts are investigated deterministically through numerical simulations. The effects of surface amplitude, wavelength, relative position, and slide-to-roll ratio have been studied. The classic approach, which consists of an equivalent deformable body with superimposed surface waviness, is critically evaluated and compared to results from full two-body simulations. Under the investigated conditions, the equivalent and two-body approaches show about 17%, 21%, and 26% deviations in maximum pressure, temperature, and friction, respectively. It is demonstrated that the fundamental cause of the observed deviations, which results in a phase shift that cannot be described by the equivalent geometry, is the tangential elastic deformation of surface asperities.