This dissertation is focused on experimental study of lubricant film behavior under transient conditions. For real machine parts such as gears, roller bearings and cam mechanism the operating conditions such as speed, load and radius of curvature of rubbing surfaces are vary during the working cycle. Change in operating conditions may pose an increased risk of the lubricating film breakdown. Direct contact of rubbing surfaces at the time of the lubricating film breakdown causes an increase in friction and wear. The high-speed CMOS camera was used to record the dynamic changes in lubricating film thickness during the experiment. The optical interferometry method has been used for reverse reconstruction of lubricating film thickness of the recorded interferograms. It was confirmed that the operating parameters have a major impact on the formation of lubricant film and its thickness and a certain combination of boundary conditions can cause lubricating film rupture. The obtained results showed, that modified topography of the rubbing surfaces can help to increase the lubrication film thickness especially in critical phases of working cycle.

The diploma thesis deals with the analysis of the effects surface texturing on starved contact. Experimental verification was realized on apparatus simulating contact between a steel ball and glass disc using colorimetric interferometry and high-speed camera. The work deals with lubrication regimes, problems with starved contacts and surface texturing which can reduce effects of starvation on non-conformal surface contacts.

The diploma thesis deals with The study of transition between fully flooded and starved regimes in EHL Contact. The work is focused on problems of starved contact and surface texturing of rubbing surfaces. Surface texturing of rubbing surfaces is one of the adjustments that cause in a sense improved lubricity and reduce friction and wear. The aim of this study is to compare numerical models with real experimental results measured on the Experimental apparatus.

This dissertation is focused on the effects of both artificially produced and real roughness features on mixed lubrication film formation during start-up and reversal of non-conformal contacts operated under rolling/sliding conditions. The start-up operation of mixed lubricated contacts represents one of the transient conditions that bring the risk of the surface damage because of asperities interactions. Chromatic interferograms captured by CMOS high-speed camera during start up of the motion enabled to observe the detailed changes in lubrication film caused by surface features. The observation of the effects of surface dents artificially produced on the ball surface helped to understand better the behaviour of real surface topography. It was found that the presence of shallow surface features can help to separate mixed lubricated rubbing surfaces more efficiently than it could be suggested from the results obtained with smooth surfaces. It can be suggested from the obtain results that properly designed topography of the rubbing surfaces can help to reduce the asperities interactions under transient operational conditions.