Effects of a typical shear dependent viscosity on analytical elastohydrodynamic lubrication film thickness predictions: A critical issue for the classical approach

Many engineering estimates of the film thickness in the concentrated contacts of real machines have come from extrapolations of measurements of elastohydrodynamic lubrication film thickness performed in glass on steel elastohydrodynamic rigs. Such estimates are likely to have large errors due to shear dependence of viscosity. The classical film thickness formulas employed have not been validated except for some Newtonian reference liquids at room temperature because the real pressure-viscosity response measured in viscometers has been ignored. A blend of polyalpha olefin base oils with mild shear-thinning has been employed in a line contact calculation to assess the effects of shear-dependent viscosity on the power-law exponents of the classical film thickness formula. The exponents on the pressure-viscosity coefficient and on the elastic modulus of the solids are not sensitive to the non-Newtonian effect. The exponents on ambient pressure viscosity and velocity are slightly reduced by shear-thinning. The exponents on pressure and scale are substantially increased by the shear dependence. The usual practice of measuring film thickness in an elastohydrodynamic rig to obtain an effective “[Formula: see text]-value” to use in a classical Newtonian film thickness formula will overstated the film thickness of a liquid which is shear dependent in the elastohydrodynamic lubrication inlet.