Effect of Starvation on Thermal Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication in Simple Sliding Point Contact with Surface Bump

Numerical analyses were carried out to simulate the effects of inlet oil starvation on thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication (TEHL) point contacts. It was assumed that surface with a transverse bump was stationary and smooth surface was moving. It is found that temperature in the oil film increased suddenly at the inlet meniscus like the pressure build-up due to the discontinuous oil film at that boundary. The increase of the degree of inlet starvation raised the average temperature in the oil film. The maximum pressure and temperature for the rough contact occurred at the macroscopic horseshoe shaped constriction. As the degree of oil starvation increased, the film thickness wass gradually reduced and the surface bump was attenuated.