A novel Reynolds equation of non-Newtonian fluid for lubrication simulation

The non-Newtonian phenomenon is significant in hydrodynamic lubrication of some special lubricants, or elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL). However, the conventional methods to solve the non-Newtonian lubrication problem are either too complicated or inaccurate. This paper puts forward a Reynolds equation for general lubrication problem of the non-Newtonian fluid by treating the lubricant flow as the superposition of the Poiseuille flow and Couette flow. Then, as examples, a set of simulations for EHL in the line contact are presented to investigate the feasibility of the method. Finally, comparisons with the conventional methods establish the validity and simplicity of the method. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.