Lubrication of reciprocating seals: Experiments on the influence of surface roughness on friction and leakage

In the past, most theoretical work on reciprocating seals has been dedicated to the solution of the elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) problem for smooth surfaces. However, measured friction forces and film thicknesses often do not support the hypothesis of full film lubrication. In the present paper, a first attempt is made to investigate the lubrication by experimental determination of friction forces and leakage using three rods with different surface roughness. An accurate method for leakage measurement has been developed because of the lack of accurate film thickness tranducers.