A Continuous Rheological Model for Smart Lubricants in Hard Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication

Abstract The discontinuous nature of the Bingham model poses significant challenges in the implementation and analysis of elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL). To address this problem, a modified Bingham model is developed and incorporated in the hard elastohydrodynamic lubrication (hard-EHL) analysis of “smart” lubricants using the generalized Newtonian approach. The proposed model is validated through the observed formation of adherent and floating “cores.” A comprehensive parametric analysis is also conducted to examine the impact of the slide/roll ratio, dimensionless speed, dimensionless load, and dimensionless material parameter on EHL characteristics. The numerical findings are found to be consistent with the experimental measurements of EHL film thickness pertaining to electro-rheological fluids. The findings are highly encouraging, demonstrating that by appropriately modifying the yield stress, “smart” lubricants can be tailored to meet specific operational requirements.