Numerical study of the influence of geometric features of dimple texture on hydrodynamic pressure generation

Abstract

Controlling friction and wear are essential for reducing energy loss and lengthening the life span of friction pairs in sliding contacts. Surface texturing is an effective and efficient way to reduce friction and wear, especially under lubricated conditions. Dimple texture on friction pair surfaces has been verified to enhance the lubrication condition and shift the lubrication regime by generating additional hydrodynamic pressure. However, the geometric features and distribution of the microstructures considerably influence the production of additional pressure. Choosing and designing dimple texture with suitable geometric features is necessary and important for texturing applications. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are used to investigate the effect of the geometric features of dimple textures on pressure build‐up. The influence of dimple shapes, dimple depths, minimum film thickness, dimple densities, and dimple surface angles are presented and discussed. Notably, the influence of the dimple surface angle is introduced and presented.