Abstract
A general analysis of the lubrication of rigid-ellipsoidal solids by a piezo-viscous fluid is reported. Solutions based upon the Reynolds cavitation boundary condition are presented and details are given of the resulting pressure distributions and film thickness predictions.
Four distinct forms of the fluid film lubrication of a general curved solid near a plane have previously been noted and described as: (i) rigid-isoviscous, (ii) elastic-isoviscous, (iii) elastic-variable viscosity (piezo-viscous), (iv) rigid-variable viscosity (piezo-viscous).
Solutions already exist for the first three forms of lubrication for conjunctions formed between solids having curvatures in two principal directions, but the rigid-variable viscosity regime has not previously been analysed within the same general set of conditions.
The results not only enable the film thickness between curved solids in nominal point contact to be predicted with reasonable confidence, but they indicate quite clearly the dominant physical effects governing the hydrodynamic performance of such conjunctions.
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