On the flash temperature under the starved lubrication condition of a line contact

To investigate the effect of the inlet starvation severity on the flash temperature, which dictates the scuffing failure, a thermal mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication model is developed for line contacts operating under the starved lubrication condition. Utilizing a generalized Newtonian Reynolds equation, the lubricant viscosity dependence on the shear rate, as well as on the pressure and temperature, is incorporated for the proper and accurate modeling of the tribological behavior under the high sliding condition. A film fraction parameter is employed in the Reynolds equation to include the starvation and cavitation description. Considering different operating and surface roughness conditions, a parametric study is performed to show an asymptotic relationship between the flash temperature and the inlet starvation severity.