TRIBOS: A Performance Evaluation Tool for Traction-Transmitting Partial EHD Contacts

The details are given of a computer model for performing a state-of-the-art tribological assessment of the performance of a lubricated concentrated rolling/sliding/spinning/contact comprising general anisotropic rough surfaces. The name chosen for this program is TRIBOS. It computes: 1. The contact ellipse dimensions and area 2. The elastohydrodynamic (EHD) film thickness both at the plateau and at the constriction that forms at the rear of a lubricated concentrated contact under fully flooded (un-starved) and isothermal lubricant inlet conditions 3. The apportionment of the applied load between the asperities and the lubricant film 4. The magnitude and direction of the tractive force transmitted between the contacting bodies by the combined effects of (a) shearing of the fluid film and (b) coulomb friction between contacting asperities 5. The mean number of asperity contacts and the real contact area, i.e. the total contact area of the elastically deformed asperities 6. A film thickness correction factor...