Longitudinal roughness effect on magnetic fluid-based squeeze film between conical plates

Purpose - The paper aims to improve upon the performance of a squeeze film formed by a magnetic fluid between longitudinally rough conical plates. Design/methodology/approach - The objectives are achieved by mathematically modeling a magnetic fluid-based squeeze film between longitudinally rough conical plates. The roughness of the bearing surface is modeled by a stochastic random variable with non-zero mean, variance and skewness. The standard approach is to solve associated Reynold's equation which is stochastically averaged with respect to the random roughness parameter. The scope of this paper is the industrial applications with regard to enhanced performance of the bearing system. Findings - The findings indicate that the performance of the bearing gets enhanced due to negatively skewed roughness. It is also noticed that the standard deviation increases the load carrying capacity which is unlike the case of transverse surface roughness. Further, this paper suggests that there exist considerable scopes for enhancing the performance of the longitudinally rough bearing system by choosing a suitable combination of the magnetization parameter and the semi-vertical angle of the cone. Practical implications - From the industry point of view, this investigation will be certainly useful for improving the performance of a magnetic fluid-based squeeze film between longitudinally rough conical plates. Originality/value - The paper presents the improved performance of a squeeze film formed by a magnetic fluid between longitudinally rough conical plates and thereby extending the life period of the bearing system.