Mixed rheologies in elastohydrodynamic lubrication

This paper studies elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) of line contacts for the slide-roll ratios 0-2 based on the assumptions of interfacial shear strength and interfacial slip, It is shown that the viscoelastic, viscoplastic and non-continuum fluids distribute from the inlet zone to the Hertzian contact zone in order for a given operating condition when the load and rolling speed exceed critical values. For the rolling speed below the critical, the distributing fluids from the inlet zone to the Hertzian contact zone in order are viscoelastic and non-continuum when the load exceeds a critical value. These show a multirheological behavior EHL film, formed in a contact, which may represent a mode of mixed lubrication. For this mode of lubrication, the fluid model should handle both inlet and Hertzian contact zones where the fluids are, respectively, continuum and non-continuum. A new EHL analysis and theory, therefore needs to be established.