Analysis of Mixed Lubrication Effects in Simulated Gear Tooth Contacts

The paper presents results obtained using a transient analysis technique for point contact elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) problems based on a formulation that couples the elastic and hydrodynamic equations. Results are presented for transverse ground surfaces in elliptical point contact that show severe film thinning and asperity contact at the transverse limits of the contact area. This thinning is caused by transverse leakage of the lubricant from the contact in the remaining deep valley features between the surfaces. A comparison is also made between the point contact results on the entrainment centre line and the equivalent line contact analysis. The extent of asperity contact is shown to be dependent on the Hertzian contact aspect ratio. It is also shown that transverse waviness (superimposed on the roughness) of even relatively small amplitude can lead to large increases in asperity contact rates over all waviness peaks in the contact.