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Fluorescence Tracking and µ-PIV of Individual Particles and Lubricant Flow in and Around Lubricated Point Contacts

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Abstract

This paper deals with optical experimental methods for improving current knowledge on particle entrapment in elastohydrodynamic contacts. Particular attention was paid to the possibilities offered by fluorescence-based techniques for mapping lubricant flow and tracking contaminant trajectories. A ball-on-disk tribometer, a fluorescent medium, and particle image velocimetry equipment were used together for this purpose. This original experimental setup enabled us to obtain lubricant streamlines and velocity vector maps in the contact area. Moreover, it allowed us, for the first time, to capture the details of trapping as the rejection of contaminating particles, in the context of lubrication, as it happened. Dynamic in situ observations clearly showed that the entrapment of debris-like particles was competing against the backflow occurring upstream, in particular in elliptical contacts. The results reported in this work confirm and expand previous results obtained with different methods, i.e., using a twin-disk machine and CFD computations. Finally, we briefly describe as future work the potential for applying these fluorescence-based methods to questions that are still under debate in the lubrication community.

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Abbreviations

\(a\) :

Hertzian radius or ellipse semi-axis in the x-direction (μm)

b :

Ellipse semi-axis in the y-direction (μm)

\(k = b/a\) :

Ellipticity ratio (−)

\(N_{{{\text{pix}},x}}\) :

Number of pixels of the camera sensor along the x-direction (−)

\(N_{{{\text{pix}},y}}\) :

Number of pixels of the camera sensor along the y-direction (−)

\(P_{\text{H}}\) :

Hertzian pressure (MPa)

\(R_{x}\) :

Ball radius or radius of curvature in the x-direction (mm)

\(R_{y}\) :

Radius of curvature in the y-direction (mm)

\(t\) :

Time (s)

\(T_{\text{s}}\) :

Sequential lighting time (s)

\(U_{\text{m}}\) :

Mean entrainment speed (m/s) = (U 1 + U 2)/2

\(U_{1}\) :

Velocity of the disk at the contact location in the x-direction (m/s)

\(U_{2}\) :

Velocity of the metallic sample (ball- or barrel-shaped) at the contact location in the x-direction (m/s)

\(w\) :

Normal load (N)

\(\Delta t\) :

Synchronized separation time (s)

\(\Delta t_{x}\) :

Synchronized separation time defined in the x-direction (s)

\(\Delta t_{y}\) :

Synchronized separation time defined in the y-direction (s)

\(\Delta X\) :

Size of the camera image in x-direction (m)

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Acknowledgements

This work was carried out at the Laboratoire de Mecanique des Contacts et des Structures (LaMCoS) and was funded by the “Lubricated Interfaces for the Future” research chair established between INSA Lyon and the SKF company. The authors acknowledge Guillermo Morales-Espejel (SKF-ERC) for his technical expertise.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, CNRS, LaMCoS UMR5259, 69621, Villeurbanne, France

    V. Strubel, P. Vergne, N. Fillot, F. Ville & N. Devaux

  2. Univ Lyon, EC Lyon, CNRS, LMFA UMR5509, 69134, Écully, France

    S. Simoens & M. El Hajem

  3. SKF Aerospace, 26300, Châteauneuf-sur-Isère, France

    A. Mondelin & Y. Maheo

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  1. V. Strubel
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  2. S. Simoens
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  3. P. Vergne
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  4. N. Fillot
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  5. F. Ville
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Correspondence to N. Fillot.

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Strubel, V., Simoens, S., Vergne, P. et al. Fluorescence Tracking and µ-PIV of Individual Particles and Lubricant Flow in and Around Lubricated Point Contacts. Tribol Lett 65, 75 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-017-0859-z

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