A System-Approach to the Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication Point-Contact Problem

Abstract

The classical EHL point contact problem is solved using a new 'system approach,' similar to that introduced by Houpert and Hamrock for the line- contact problem. Introducing a body-fitted coordinate system, the troublesome free boundary is transformed to a fixed domain. The Newton-Raphson method can then be used to determine the pressure distribution and the cavitation boundary subject to the Reynolds boundary condition. This method provides an efficient and rigorous way of solving the EHL point contact problem with the aid of a supercomputer and a promising method to deal with the transient EHL point contact problem. A typical pressure distribution and film thickness profile are presented and the minimum film thicknesses are compared with the solution of Hamrock and Dowson. The details of the cavitation boundaries for various operating parameters are discussed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 02, 1991
Accession Number
ADA237671

Entities

People

  • David E. Brewe
  • Sang G. Lim

Organizations

  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Algorithms
  • Army Aviation
  • Boundaries
  • Boundary Value Problems
  • Cavitation
  • Computations
  • Computers
  • Coordinate Systems
  • Differential Equations
  • Equations
  • Geometry
  • Iterations
  • Lubricants
  • Lubrication
  • Numerical Analysis
  • Pressure Distribution
  • Thickness

Readers

  • Finite Element Method (FEM) for solving Partial Differential Equations (PDEs)
  • Tribology (the study of the boundary interaction between sliding surfaces, lubrication, wear and friction).