On the thermoelastic instability of a thin-film-lubricated sliding contact: A closed-form solution

AbstractThermoelastic instability (TEI) in a mechanical component manifests itself in the form of macroscopic hot spots. To gain insight into the mechanism of hot spotting, an engineering TEI model for two solid surfaces separated by a viscous liquid film in relative sliding motion is developed. The model lends itself to a useful analytical expression for determining the threshold of instability with provision for the effect of the migration speed.