Observation of Wall Slip in Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication

Abstract

A new experimental technique using optical interferometry has been developed to obtain a direct indication of non-Newtonian response of an oil film under conditions of elastohydrodynamic (EHD) lubrication. A glass disk or a steel ball has been driven by a stepping motor so that crescent-shaped thick oil films with undulation in thickness along the direction of motion have been generated. The experiments have been carried out under pure rolling and pure sliding conditions. It has been found that the oil in an EHD contact behaves like a solid and slips at or near the contact surfaces.