FEATURES OF TRANSITION MODES OF FRICTION SURFACES WITH PARTIALLY REGULAR MICRORELIEF

Textured surfaces with partially regular micro relief (PRMR) are reported to be an effective means to control lublication. It was found they are good wear debris trap and suppliers of lubricant directly to the actual friction area. Their tribological properties depend on the clearance between mating surfaces, relative slip speed, direction of motion. These parameters change the lubrication regime, and vice versa changing geometry of PRMR it is possible to predict and control lubrication regime for given conditions. Application of micro textured surface is prospective for high precision sliding units - valve slides of oil and hydraulic systems, faces of gear pump gears, ring-to-cylinder interface of aircraft reciprocating engines etc. providing high service life. On other side, changing texture parameters it is possible to stop the leakage of fluid through the gap, what may be efficiently utilized in aircraft non-contacting mechanical (hydrodynamic and hydrostatic) seals of gas compressors and gear mechanisms. This paper discloses some peculiarities of transition lubrication regimes for textured surfaces in lubricated contact.