Partial Elastomer Texturing in Soft Elasto Hydrodynamic Lubrication

A dimensionless theoretical model of Soft Elasto Hydrodynamic Lubrication (SEHL) between partially textured elastomer and rigid counterpart is developed. The model consists of a soft elastomer with partial Laser Surface Texturing (LST) and an absolutely rigid and smooth counterpart moving relatively to each other in the presence of viscous lubricant. The elastomer surface is partially textured at its leading edge in the form of spherical micro-dimples. The pressure distribution in the fluid film and the elastic deformations of the elastomer are obtained from a simultaneous solution of the Reynolds equation and the equation of linear elasticity, respectively. Friction force and load carrying capacity are evaluated by integration of the shear stress and pressure fields in the viscous fluid film, respectively. The main goal of the present work is to study the potential of the elastomer partial LST in SEHL to friction reduction.