Pressure Spikes in Elastohydrodynamically Lubricated Conjunctions

The film thickness, pressure, and flow in elastohydrodynamically lubricated conjunctions were calculated for a line contact. The main focus of the study was to get a better understanding of why a pressure spike exists in elastohydrodynamically lubricated conjunctions. Various combinations of viscous or isoviscous and compressible or incompressible situations were studied for a wide range of loads. The basic parameters were pressure, pressure gradient, film shape, and flow. It was found that the major factor causing the pressure spike to occur was the viscosity.