Author(s)

F. C. Wang, L. S. Wang & M. L. Sun

Abstract

A general tribological simulation system for the study of spherical bearings with complex spherical-based geometry and under operating conditions was developed in order to simulate friction, lubrication and dynamic contact mechanics, as well as wear on the basis of the regular spherical-grid-data-model (SGDM), where the bearing surface was assumed as being perfectly spherical. The elastic deformation of the complex spherical bearing was evaluated by the equivalent discrete spherical convolution model (EDSC) and the spherical fast Fourier transform technique (SFFT). The representation of either macro- or micro-geometries of spherical bearings in motion and the corresponding simulation of the tribological complexity were performed by the fixed-tracked method (FTM) in the simulation system. Several examples of numerical experiments of transient elastohydrodynamic lubrication, wear prediction and friction, as well as dynamic contact mechanics of spherical bearings with nonsphericity, were investigated in order to validate the tribological simulation system of spherical or aspheric bearings. It was found that the complex tribological problems of the bearings could be resolved by the general methodologies developed in the simulation system. Keywords: spherical-grid-data-model (SGDM), fixed-tracked method (FTM), equivalent discrete spherical convolution (EDSC), spherical fast Fourier transform (SFFT), spherical bearing, aspheric bearing, non-sphericity, tribological simulation system, elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL), mixed lubrication, friction, contact mechanics, wear prediction.

Keywords

spherical-grid-data-model (SGDM), fixed-tracked method (FTM),equivalent discrete spherical convolution (EDSC), spherical fast Fouriertransform (SFFT), spherical bearing, aspheric bearing, non-sphericity,tribological simulation system, elastohydrodynamic l