An efficient numerical analysis of starved thermohydrodynamically lubricated rolling line contacts

Effect of starvation in thermohydrodynamically lubricated high rolling speed line contacts has been investigated numerically by using an efficient numerical method in which temperature variations across the lubricant film is approximated by the second-order of Legendre polynomial. Mechanism of starvation at the contact has been set by creating gradual reduction in the length of the computational domain from the inlet side. In the solution, the lubricant has been assumed to be a Newtonian fluid. Minimum film thickness and rolling traction coefficient under fully flooded and starved conditions have been computed in this work. The rolling traction coefficient, minimum film thickness, and maximum mid film temperature rise in the starved line contact are found to be lesser than the fully flooded contact condition.