Analysis for Finite Line Contacts of Thermal Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication

With the multilevel method, a complete solution of thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) of finite line contacts is obtained for an axially profiled cylindrical roller. In the middle of the roller, the pressure and temperature profiles and film shapes are nearly the same as that of the thermal infinitely long line contact, near the position where the profiling starts, however, the thermal EHL results are considerably different from that of the infinite solution. The maximum pressure and temperature and the minimum film thickness always occur at this region. The radius in the roller end has great effect on the EHL performance. Moreover,a comparison between thermal EHL and isothermal EHL of finite line contact is presented as well.