The Influence of Non-Gaussian Roughness and Spectral Properties on Mixed Lubrication for Heavily Loaded Counterformal Contacts

The impact of non-Gaussian height distribution and spectral properties on the lubrication performance of counterformal (point) contacts is quantitatively studied (film parameter, Λ, and asperity load ratio, La) by developing a mixed lubrication model. The Weibull height distribution function and power spectral density (PSD) are used to generate artificial surface topographies (non-Gaussian and Gaussian, isotropic), as these surface topographies are found in many tribological components. The set of variables needed to parametrize and their effect on mixed lubrication is discussed, including the shape parameter, the autocorrelation length, the wavelength ratio, and the Hurst coefficient. It is revealed that a rough surface with a lower shape parameter exhibits higher hydrodynamic lift. The spectral properties (the autocorrelation length and the wavelength ratio) of rough surfaces significantly affect the film parameter and the hydrodynamic and asperity pressures. The film parameter is slightly influenced by the Hurst coefficient.