Lubricant transport towards tribocontact in capillary surface structures

Abstract

To counter lubricant shortage at a frictional contact (starvation), lubrication liquids, e.g. oils, are actively transported from a distant location towards the undersupplied tribocontact. This is done via small channels or generally via structures cut into a flat surface. In this way one can use capillary force as a cheap and reliable driver of the lubricant flow. Numerical modeling and experiments show that this method can be considered a promising new option to enhance tribocontact operation.