Analytical solution to a mode of mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication with mixed contact regimes: Part I. Without consideration of contact adhering layer in the inlet zone

In 2005, Zhang presented a Grubin-like inlet zone analysis to the isothermal line contact elastohydrodynamic lubrication under relatively heavy loads when the hydrodynamic film thickness in the Hertzian zone approaches zero and the EHL fluid is Newtonian [Zhang, Y.B. A justification of the load-carrying capacity of elastohydrodynamic lubrication film based on the Newtonian fluid model. Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, 2005, Vol. 57, pp. 224–232]. His results showed that in this EHL, when the rolling speed is lower than the characteristic rolling speed (U_ch =) 0.0372W^1.50/G, the Hertzian zone is in physical adsorbed layer boundary lubrication while the inlet zone is in conventional hydrodynamic lubrication. This mode of EHL represents a mode of mixed EHL with mixed contact regimes, where hydrodynamic films with different rheological behaviors occur in different areas of the contact. The present paper presents an analysis to this mode of mixed EHL by using the Grubin type method when the contact adhering layer in the inlet zone is neglected. Pressures, film thicknesses and load partition in the contact are obtained from this analysis. It is also found that the formula for the characteristic rolling speed U_ch = 0.0372W^1.50/G obtained by Zhang [Zhang, Y.B. A justification of the load-carrying capacity of elastohydrodynamic lubrication film based on the Newtonian fluid model. Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, 2005, Vol. 57, pp. 224–232] may be valid for the dimensionless load W > 1.0E−7, while it may be invalid for the dimensionless load W < 1.0E−8. In part II [Zhang, Y.B. Analytical solution to a mode of mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication with mixed contact regimes: Part II. Considering the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2006, Vol. 117. (doi:10.1016/j.molliq.2006.04.007)] will be presented an analysis to other two modes of mixed EHL with mixed contact regimes for relatively heavy loads, low rolling speeds and Newtonian fluids, where the conventional hydrodynamic lubrication, physical adsorbed layer boundary lubrication and oxidized chemical layer boundary lubrication can simultaneously occur in the inlet zone while the oxidized chemical layer boundary lubrication or the fresh metal-oxidized chemical boundary layer dry contact occur in the Hertzian zone, considering the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone.