In Situ Measurement of Oil Reservoir and Oil Layers by Fluorescence Technique in a Ball-on-Disc Test Rig

The major oil supply for the ball-on-disc contact is provided by the lubricating oil reservoir and the oil ridges; however, the regularity of their changes has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, the laser-induced fluorescence technique was adopted to determine the film distribution of the oil reservoir and the layer thickness of the oil ridges on the free surface. It clearly depicts the changes in the oil reservoir and reveals the mechanism of the oil reflow surrounding the contact region under various driving actions. The results may give a new perspective and a fuller understanding of the lubricating oil supply by revealing additional information about the oil supply surrounding the contact region.