ELASTOHYRODYNAMIC LUBRICANT FILM FORMING OF DIFFERENT BEARINGS

The formation of the lubricant film between the mating bearing surfaces is called the elastohydrodynamic (EHD) mechanism of lubrication. The two major considerations in EHD lubrication are the elastic deformation of the contacting bodies under load and the hydrodynamic effects forcing the lubricant to separate the contacting surfaces while the pressure of the load is deforming them.The lubricant film thickness between two contact surfaces can be related to bearing performance. The thickness of the generated film depends on operating conditions such as velocity, load, lubricant viscosity and the relationship of pressure to viscosity.Analytical relationships have been developed for calculating minimum and average film thickness for successful bearing performance.