Synergy of Viscosity Wedge and Squeeze Under Zero Entrainment Velocity in EHL Contacts

In an elastohydrodynamic lubricated (EHL) contact under Zero Entrainment Velocity (ZEV) condition, surfaces cannot be separated by hydrodynamic lift. In this work, two other phenomena responsible for a film thickness build-up in ZEV contacts are studied using a numerical model. First, the thermal effect called “viscosity wedge” is investigated in steady-state conditions. Second, the “squeeze” effect is described in an environment where dynamic (time dependent) loads are considered. Then, both the viscosity wedge and squeeze effects are considered together. For each one of the two mechanisms, a characteristic time is considered. The ratio of these two times allows the identification of a dominant effect. Depending on this ratio, a prediction is attempted using semi-analytical models describing each effect. For an ideal set of parameters, it is shown that the combination of squeeze and viscosity wedge in EHL contact under ZEV allows for an enhanced performance.