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7594 8991This work presents for the first time through-thickness velocity profiles obtained in an EHL contact by photobleached imaging. The velocity profile was inferred by following the evolution of the shape of a photobleached plug formed through the thickness of the fluorescently-doped lubricant, oligomer polybutene (PB), in the contact when shear was applied. The proposed methodology was validated by successfully obtaining the expected linear profile with PB experiencing Couette flow. The methodology was then applied to PB in an EHL contact. The variation of the profiles within the contact area was also investigated.The velocity profile of PB in an EHL contact severely deviates from the common linear assumption and exhibits inhomogeneous shear: three regions of varying shear rate have been observed. The phenomenon is shown to be neither due to thermal nor diffusion effects. PB also shows significant slip at the glass-liquid interface. The amount of slip varies with position in the contact. Possible causes, such as pressure induced viscosity enhancement, as well as the significance of the findings and the benefits of the technique are discussed.The linear velocity profile in an EHL contact is usually assumed for both the film thickness and friction predictions. The profile has however never been measured experimentally until now. This work enables the validation of conventional assumptions and the study of flow heterogeneity of lubricants in a contact. This facilitates an improved understanding of the rheology of confined lubricant and hence more accurate predictions of tribological properties.

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We report the development of optimized fluorescent dye-doped tracer particles for gas-phase particle image velocimetry (PIV) and their use to eliminate ‘flare’ from the images obtained. In such applications, micron-sized tracer particles are normally required to accurately follow the flow. However, as the tracer size is reduced the amount of light incident on the particle diminishes and consequently the intensity of emitted light (fluorescence). Hence, there is a requirement to identify dyes with high quantum yield that can be dissolved in conventional tracer media at high concentrations. We describe the selection and characterization of a highly fluorescent blue-emitting dye, Bis-MSB, using a novel method, employing stabilized micro-emulsions, to emulate the fluorescence properties of tracer particles. We present the results of PIV experiments, using 1 µm tracer particles of o-xylene doped with Bis-MSB, in which elastically scattered ‘flare’ has been successfully removed from the images using an appropriate optical filter.

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This paper describes a unique experimental set-up constructed for studies of lubricant behaviour in an operating rolling element bearing including in situ quantitative measurements of film thickness in and around the element-raceway contact. The set-up is based on a deep groove ball bearing in which the outer race is made of sapphire to allow full optical access to the zone in which the rolling elements are loaded against it. This allows direct imaging of lubricant films under both steady-state and transient conditions and at contact pressures and rotational speeds representative of those present in real rolling element bearings. Optical interferometry is used to measure thin EHL films inside the ball–raceway contacts while a specific laser induced fluorescence approach, referred to as ratiometric fluorescence, is implemented to observe the lubricant distribution and quantify its thickness ahead of the ball–raceway contact. Results are presented to validate the accuracy of the method and to investigate the influence of bulk lubricant viscosity and bearing speed on contact film thickness, inlet starvation and lubricant distribution around the ball–raceway contact. To the best of our knowledge, the work described here is the first to directly measure lubricant distribution and EHL film thickness in a ball–raceway contact in an operating radial rolling bearing. Graphical Abstract

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