Squeeze film lubrication between a cylinder and a flat porous plate under the influence of magnetohydrodynamics, couple stress, and viscosity variation

Abstract The research examines the effect of viscosity variation on squeeze film characteristics between a cylinder and a porous flat surface by considering the homogenous externally applied magnetic field and utilizing a couple stress fluid as a lubricant. Such configurations are critical in advanced engineering applications such as aerospace mechanisms, automotive components, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), which require reliable lubrication. The primary goal is to investigate how viscosity variation, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects, porosity, and couple stress all affect squeeze film performance. A modified Reynolds-flow expression is obtained for specific boundary conditions. Then, mathematical expressions for pressure, load-carrying capability, and squeeze film time are determined. Systematically varying the parameter values, and computational analysis is utilized to visualize these relationships through graphs. The results reveal a substantial enhancement, with pressure, load-carrying capacity, and squeeze-film time increasing by up to 77.6% under optimal MHD, viscosity-variation, and couple-stress conditions, clearly demonstrating the quantitative benefits of the proposed model. In contrast, porosity is found to reduce performance. Neglecting viscosity and porosity effects brings the results in line with Sreekala et al., demonstrating excellent agreement through comparative analysis. Overall, this work addresses a key research gap by simultaneously integrating MHD, viscosity variation, porosity, and couple-stress effects—an interaction not thoroughly explored in previous studies. The study’s novelty lies in providing a unified analytical framework that clarifies how these parameters collectively influence lubrication performance, thereby establishing clear objectives for optimizing advanced fluid-film systems. The findings have significant implications for automotive engineering, aerospace applications, and MEMS technology, offering valuable insights for researchers and engineers in fluid mechanics and tribology seeking to develop efficient, high-performance lubrication designs.