Investigation into the traction coefficient in elastohydrodynamic lubrication

Abstract The elastohydrodynamic traction coefficients of two Chinese aviation lubricating oils were investigated for various loads, rolling velocities, and lubricant inlet temperatures using a self‐made test rig. Traction coefficient versus slide‐to‐roll ratio curves were generated. The concept of critical load varying with the lubricant temperature is proposed. This paper presents a new empirical formula for the dynamic performance design of high‐speed rolling bearings, that relates traction coefficient with normal load, rolling velocity, and lubricant inlet temperature. The coefficients of the formula may be computed by regression analysis of the experimental data. Two example calculations are presented. The predicted results from the formula agree well with experimental observations.