En raison de la tendance grandissante du downsizing, des hautes performances, des réductions de la consommation et des émissions des véhicules modernes, la turbocompression des moteurs thermiques s’avère de plus en plus innovante et technologique. Leader dans ce domaine, Honeywell Turbo Technologies s’intéresse à deux axes de recherche majeurs des systèmes lubrifiés. Un délai temporel est couramment observé entre l’appui sur la pédale d’accélérateur et l’augmentation de la pression de l’air ambiant du côté de la roue compresseur. Il s’agit du décalage turbo ou turbo lag. Celui-ci a pour origine principale l’existence d’un couple de frottement parasite au sein de la butée. En ce qu’il pénalise les performances du turbo et limite le confort de conduite, la réduction du turbo lag constitue un enjeu majeur de l’industrie des turbocompresseurs automobiles. En tant que phénomène présent à chaque instant du fonctionnement du véhicule, les pulsations moteurs constituent également un axe de recherche primordial. Celles-ci proviennent des ouvertures et fermetures successives des soupapes des cylindres et résultent en d’importantes variations de la charge axiale appliquée à la butée du turbocompresseur. Or le dimensionnement actuel de la butée se basant sur l’étude stationnaire des cas critiques de la vie réelle du moteur, l’influence de ces pulsations sur le comportement de la butée doit être déterminée. Ce manuscrit présente une modélisation thermohydrodynamique du contact de la butée appliquée au cas des turbocompresseurs. Une équation de Reynolds modifiée est établie et intègre le modèle Modifié de Phan-Thien et Tanner. Elle relie les caractéristiques rhéologiques des huiles de moteurs actuelles au comportement macro-moléculaire des additifs à longues chaînes de polymères qu’elles contiennent. La nécessité de considérer les effets inertiels du fluide ainsi que la recirculation inter-patin est démontrée. L’influence de l’élasticité du lubrifiant sur la dissipation d’énergie au sein du contact est analysée numériquement. Il est montré qu’un compromis sur l’élasticité du lubrifiant peut mener à une réduction du turbo lag. De plus, un banc d’essai est développé en régime transitoire afin de mettre en évidence l’influence des pulsations moteurs sur les performances de la butée. Les résultats obtenus expérimentalement corroborent les effets dynamiques observés par les prédictions numériques. / With increasing focus on downsizing, high performances, low fuel consumption and emission reduction of modern vehicles, turbochargers of combustion engines have become more and more innovative and technological. Leader in this field, Honeywell Turbo Technologies is interested in two major lines of research regarding lubricated contacts. A delay in response time is frequently observed between the gas pedal push and the pressure rise of ambient air at the compressor wheel. It is called turbo lag. This phenomenon is mainly induced by a parasitic frictional torque existing in the thrust bearing contact. Penalizing turbochargers performances and drivability, the reduction of turbo lag constitutes a major concern for the automotive turbocharger industry. As an event constantly occurring on working engines, exhaust gas pulsations represent an essential line of research. Due to successive openings and closings of engine valves, these pulsations result in significant axial load variations applied to the turbocharger thrust bearing. Current sizing of thrust bearing design resting on steady state studies of critical on-engine cases, the influence of exhaust gas pulsations on the thrust bearing behavior needs to be determined. This thesis presents a thermohydrodynamic model of the thrust bearing contact applied to turbochargers. A Modified Reynolds equation is established and uses the Modified Phan-Thien and Tanner model. It connects rheological characteristics of current engine oils to the behavior of long polymeric chain additives they contain. The necessity for fluid inertia and oil recirculation to be considered is demonstrated. The influence of oil elasticity on energy dissipation within the contact is numerically analyzed. A compromise on the extent of oil elasticity can lead to a turbo lag reduction. In addition, a thrust bearing rig is developed to highlight the influence of exhaust gas pulsations on thrust bearing performances. Experimental results support dynamic effects predicted by simulations.

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.

This work deals with construction of an experimental measuring stand. This stand will be used for research focused on wheel flange lubrication improvement. The construction is based on wheel flange lubrication system Tribotec OK-02. First part treats of rail vehicle dynamics and wheel flange lubrication problematics, second part describes construction itself.

A common choice of bearing for industrial applications such as turbomachinery and rotating compressors is the Tilting-Pad Journal Bearing (TPJB) due to its excellent stability properties. TPJB's are however limited by the reduction of damping in the fluid film at high velocities. In order to overcome this, the Active Tilting-Pad Journal Bearing (ATPJB) has been developed. By adding the possibility of high-pressure radial oil injection through servo-valves which can be controlled via a feedback-loop control system, the classically purely mechanical TPJB becomes a mechatronic device called ATPJB.  The objective of this project is to conduct an experimental evaluation of the dynamical behavior of the ATPJB test rig located at the Technical University of Denmark, use the experimental results to modify the previously developed dynamical model which is used for the calculation of a model-based control system. The control system is to be implemented and experimentally validated at high velocities. Improvements made to the test rig in order to achieve high velocities have been documented and described in this work. The mathematical modeling of the individual components, reduction methods, and the global system assembly is covered with an extensive overview. Parameters of the model have been made frequency dependant in order to have an accurate model, resulting in good agreement with experimental data over a wider operational range. With the implemented Linear Quadratic Gaussian controller it is shown that ATPJB has extended operational range compared to TPJB and shows reduction of vibrations over rotational speeds spanning from 1000 RPM to 10,000 RPM. The ATPJB-technology, as it is implemented in this project, does not improve frictional losses in the system. It is argued that the added sensing and actuating systems inherited in the ATPJB technology make the technology highly suitable for the ideas of Industry 4.0 and also allows for the implementation of Early Fault Diagnosis which gives an economical incitement to invest in ATPJB-technology.

Without lubrication, machines are not imaginable to perform over a long period of time and complete their designated operations. With its omnipresent availability, the air is capable of functioning as a lubricant in long operations very efficiently. Moreover, thrust bearings support axial loads and transmit power at the same time under heavy loads. Therefore, to provide separation under heavy loads in lubricated rotating devices such as thrust pad bearings keeping the power losses at a minimum, film thickness and pressure distribution are very important to investigate at the bearing interfaces. Thrust pad gas (air) bearings are being used in very high-speed rotating machines. Usages of these air bearings are increasing nowadays in industries. In this thesis project, simulations of lubricated contacts of a thrust pad air bearing are performed utilizing multiphysics phenomena and surface textures as mathematical functions. Structural mechanics and fluid mechanics physics are used to model multiphysics functionality. Ideal surface texture models defined by mathematical functions are utilized. More efficient techniques such as homogenization techniques to model the influences of surface roughness are introduced for multiscale study. The current work also presents the Reynolds equation for incompressible and iso-viscous Newtonian fluid flow and formulation for a stationary study. The air bearing with three pads is presented and a virtual twin of this model is built for simulation in COMSOL Multiphysics software. Simulation results are obtained using a single pad from the air bearing considering periodicity of the mathematical formulation. Numerical solutions for pressure build-up and film thickness distributions are achieved from a stationary study performed in COMSOL Multiphysics. MATLAB is used for rigid body solutions. Numerical verification is carried out between the rigid body solutions from MATLAB and fluid physics solutions from COMSOL Multiphysics only for the simulations with tilting pad configuration. Obtained rigid body solutions are also compared to the trends of thrust pad bearing design diagrams to verify the modelling approach and the results. A tilting pad lubricating configuration is used for the thrust pad bearing first. Then pocket geometries for optimization of the bearing pads are explored. For that purpose, separate digital models of the bearing pad are built in COMSOL and analysed for the best performances. Material properties of steel AISI 4340 and Polylactic Acid (PLA) material are used to model virtual bearing pads. To understand the performance of the bearing better, its performance parameters such as load carrying capacity (LCC), relative power loss, and coefficient of friction torque (COT) solutions from the simulations of lubricated contacts of the thrust pad air bearing are analysed. To characterize the performance of the bearing, dimensionless LCC, relative power loss, and COT are explicitly formulated and computed from the pressure and film thickness solutions obtained in the simulations. Relative power loss and COT are resulted from the development of shear stresses in the lubricating fluid due to motion. Parametric analysis is also performed for these parameters in COMSOL Multiphysics. Additionally, performances of several pocket geometry design configurations are also analysed for the best values reached such as the maximum LCC. Pockets with shallower depths are found to have provided higher LCC in general than deeper pocket geometries and plane pads with tilting pad lubricating configuration. Finally, a physical model of an air thrust pad bearing with 3D-printed bearing segments made of PLA material is tested. The physical bearing performed very well in achieving full film separation in the test.

The development of lightweight design for automotive applications has lasted for many years and is still increasing. Vehicles with light structures use less fuel, emit less CO2, and are better for the environment. The next generation of lightweight vehicle structures will be realized using materials with a high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and high bending stiffness such as high-strength aluminium alloys. Increased formability, lower spring-back, and the ability to incorporate age-hardening heat treatments into the process are all advantages of the hot forming of aluminium alloys. However, because aluminium is prone to adhesion even at low temperatures, it can be difficult to avoid its transfer onto the tool. When forming aluminium, lubrication is always required to lower the interfacial shear strength and avoid direct contact between the interacting surfaces, to promote low friction and wear. However, lubricants can fail and significant issues with material transfer arise. Because of this, interruptions are needed for tool refurbishing, this issue affects process efficiency. Developing new or improved lubrication technologies to prevent adhesion and high friction, surface engineering solutions, as well as effective testing platforms related to aluminium forming, are vital. A significant challenge when studying the interaction between lubricant, aluminium, and tools often result in poor reproducibility of tests and uncertainties regarding the effect of lubricant thickness/weight on the friction behavior. Problems associated with reproducibility also affect modelling and simulations of the forming operation, as there are many uncertainties in the experimental campaigns, thus affecting the validation stages. The current study aim is to optimize the tribology test methodology used in the hot strip drawing method, with emphasis on the lubricant application methodology, to improve the reproducibility of tribological tests. Lubricant application methodology was developed by using air-brush equipment, and a consistent amount of lubricant. Different lubricant weights were characterized using two different types of lubricants (graphite-based and polymer-based lubricants), and then the tribological response was evaluated after the tribological tests. Lubricants were applied on cast iron and tool steel (CrN coated) to take into consideration the effect of the surface material and topography on the reproducibility, and consistency of the lubricant application methodology. The hot strip drawing method was used to perform tests at 350°C temperature, 10MPa pressure and 100mm sliding distance. To simulate the forming conditions encountered in hot stamping of aluminium, solubilization of a 6XXX aluminium alloy at 540°C was done before testing. An optical microscope, 3D optical profilometry, and SEM were used for the characterization of specimens after the tribological tests. With the lubricant application method, good reproducibility was obtained and it was determined that, in the case of cast iron, as the amount of both lubricants (polymer-based, graphite-based) increases the effective sliding also increases, but tool steel (CrN coated) shows slightly good results only when lubricant amounts are highest.

Environmentally adaptable grease (EAG) lubricants are essential in applications with loss lubrication due to their biodegradable nature. This is because the lubricants could be expelled into the environment during usage in some applications e.g., marine and mining applications. However, although this type of grease is sustainable to use, it also needs to bridge the performance gap it has with the mineral-based grease counterpart.  In this thesis project, a tribological evaluation comparison between the performance of EAGs and traditional mineral-based greases in large open gears is carried out. A twin disc tribometer is used to mimic the contact mechanisms of the test gears while being lubricated automatically by the grease samples through a syringe pump. For the experiments, the material surface of all the discs in the tribometer setup is steel while the different grease samples are tested for each setup. Two of the grease samples; UPL 04123 (NLGI 1.5) and UPL 04124 (NLGI 0.5) are fully formulated EAGs, while the third is a popular commercial mineral-based grease currently used in large open gears in the mining industry. An investigation of the wear of the discs used in each grease test is carried out using optical interferometry and a Scanning electron microscope (SEM). The wear volumes and wear rates are then analysed and compared to evaluate the performance of the grease samples. The wear results from the tribological characterisation using the twin disc are validated with the ISO 14635-3 standard on the FZG back-to-back test rig. Also, chemical characterisation of the unused and used grease is carried out using the advanced ATR-FTIR method to evaluate additive depletion and lastly an SEM-EDS analysis to confirm the presence of tribofilm on the surfaces of the disc samples. In conclusion, it is found that there is a correlation between the consistency of the grease sample and wear prevention; where the commercial grease with the least consistency performs best, followed by the 0.5G and lastly the 1.5G. Also, there are clear indications in the wear rates of the actions of extreme pressure additives activation at high contact pressures between the discs. The inadequacies of the ATR-FTIR and SEM-EDS methods to evaluate additives and tribofilm respectively are also discussed.

Gears are machine elements essential for mechanical transmission. Wear of gear teeth can causechanges in their profile geometry, causing vibration, noise, and subsequent gear failure. In this thesisproject, a twin disc tribometer has been used to mimic the actual Alfa Laval separator screw gearsystems. An investigation of the wear of different material pairs has been done using a twin disctribometer machine. In the twin disc tribometer, the material surface for one disc was bronze and thematerial for the counter disc surface was varied with steel of different types. Each bronze-steel pair wastested against different loading, lubricating and surface roughness conditions. For the wear tests, twodifferent loads, 75 N and 150 N and two different types of lubricants, Polyalphaolefin (PAO) andPolyalkylene Glycol (PAG) were taken. Wear tests were also done with the Applied Nano Surfaces(ANS) triboconditioning (TCG) steel disc samples which are surface treated to obtain a lower surfaceroughness. To obtain the wear volume and wear rate values the disc pairs were further analysed usinglaboratory equipment and computer software such as the digital microscope, optical interferometer andMountainsLab premium 9. Analytical calculations for minimum film thickness and thermally correctedminimum film thickness between the disc surfaces were obtained using the Dowson-Hamrock equationand Gupta formula, respectively. It has been found that the wear on the bronze disc is minimum if thecounter steel discs are Applied Nano Surfaces (ANS) of TCG 1 type followed by counter disc as casehardened steel, all of it at 75 N and with Polyalphaolefin (PAO) lubricant oil.

No description available.

Internal combustion (IC) engines used in road transport applications employ pistons to convert gas pressure into mechanical work. Frictional losses abound within IC engines, where only 38- 51% of available fuel energy results in useful mechanical work. Piston-bore and ring-bore conjunctions are fairly equally responsible for circa 30% of all engine friction - equivalent to 1.6% of the input fuel each. Therefore, reduction in piston assembly friction would have a direct impact on specific performance and / or fuel consumption. In motorsport, power outputs and duty cycles greatly exceed road applications. Consequently, these engines have a shorter useful life and a high premium is placed on measures which would increase the output power without further reducing engine life. Reduction of friction offers such an opportunity, which may be achieved by improved tribological design in terms of reduced contact area or enhanced lubrication or both. However, the developments in the motorsport sector are typically reactive due to a lack of relative performance or an ad-hoc reliance, based upon a limited number of actual engine tests in order to determine if any improvement can be achieved as the result of some predetermined action. A representative scientific model generally does not exist and as such, investigated parameters are often driven by the supply chain with the promise of improvement. In cylinder investigations are usually limited to bore surface finish, bore and piston geometrical form, piston skirt coatings and the lubricant employed. Of these investigated areas newly emerging surface coatings are arguably seen as predominate. This thesis highlights a scientific approach which has been developed to optimise piston-bore performance. Pre-existing methods of screening and benchmarking alterations have been retained such as engine testing. However, this has been placed in the context of validation of scientifically driven development. A multi-physics numerical model is developed, which combines piston inertial dynamics, as well as thermo-structural strains within a thermoelastohydrodynamic tribological framework. Experimental tests were performed to validate the findings of numerical models. These tests include film thickness measurement and incylinder friction measurement, as well as the numerically-indicated beneficial surface modifications. Experimental testing was performed on an in-house motored engine at Capricorn Automotive, a dynamometer mounted single-cylinder 'fired' engine at Loughborough University, as well as on other engines belonging to third party clients of Capricorn. The diversity of tests was to ascertain the generic nature of any findings. The multi-physics multi-scale combined numerical-experimental investigation is the main contribution of this thesis to knowledge. One major finding of the thesis is the significant role that bulk thermo-structural deformation makes on the contact conformity of piston skirt to cylinder liner contact, thus advising piston skirt design. Another key finding is the beneficial role of textured surfaces in the retention of reservoirs of lubricant, thus reducing friction.