Effects of oil feeding on lubrication performance in point contacts of micro-textured surfaces

Based on ball-disc contact model, taking the thickness of the inlet oil-supply layer as an input parameter, the influences of quantity of the supplied oil on lubrication performance in point contacts of micro-textured surfaces are investigated based on the unified Reynolds equation approach. The simulation results show that quantity of the supplied oil has a great effect on the film thickness in the contact area. Micro-texture could improve lubrication performance of tribo-pairs. Local cavitation occurs in the pits when the degree of the starvation is very serious. In transition state, the effect of the micro-textures on improving lubrication is more obvious in starved condition than in fully-flooded condition.