A mixed lubrication model that permits real three-dimensional surface topography as input is developed. The theory of computing flow factors within the model is presented, and with a following paper (Part 2) the method of measuring and adapting the surface roughness, and model validation through flow measurements and application to a bearing is shown. A contact mechanics model is used to calculate the elastoplastic displacement of a periodic topography signal. A method based on homogenization is used to calculate flow factors for all lubrication regimes. The flow factors are compared with the Patir and Cheng method. Results indicate that the two methods compare well for longitudinal roughness lay, but differ significantly for a cross-patterned surface roughness due to the more complete flow description of the current model.

Results of a numerical study of the influence of micro-patterned surfaces in hydrodynamic lubrication of two parallel walls are reported. Two types of parameterized grooves with the same order of depth as the film thickness are used on one stationary wall. The other wall is smooth and is sliding with a specified tangential velocity. Isothermal incompressible two dimensional full film fluid flow mechanics is solved using a Computational Fluid Dynamics method. It is shown that, by introducing a micro-pattern on one of two parallel walls, a net pressure rise in the fluid domain is achieved. This produces a load carrying capacity on the walls which is mainly contributed by fluid inertia. The load carrying capacity increases with Reynolds number. The load carrying capacity is reported to increase with groove width and depth. However, at a certain depth a vortex appears in the groove and near this value the maximum load carrying capacity is achieved. It is shown that the friction force decreases with deeper and wider grooves. Among all geometries studied, optimum geometry shapes in terms of hydrodynamic performance are reported.

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Reducing friction is of utmost importance to improve efficiency and lifetime of many products used in our daily lives. Thin hard coatings like diamond-likecarbon (DLC) have been shown to reduce friction in full film lubricated contacts. In this work, it is shown that, contrarily to common belief, the friction reduction stems mainly from a thermal phenomenon and not only a chemical/surface interaction one. It is shown that a few micrometer thin diamond-like-carbon coating can significantly influence the thermal behavior in a lubricated mechanical system. The presented simulations, validated by experiments, show that applying a thin diamond-like-carbon coating to metal surfaces creates an insulating effect that, due to the increased liquid lubricant film temperature at the center of the contact, locally reduces lubricant viscosity and thus friction. The

SUMMARYInhalation of bacterial endotoxin induces an acute inflammation in the lower respiratory tract. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of the anti-oxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and the glucocorticoid dexamethasone were investigated in mice exposed to aerosolized endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide (LPS)). Powerful reduction of neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was obtained by a single i.p. injection of dexamethasone (10 mg/kg), whereas treatment with NAC only resulted in reduction of neutrophils when administered at a high dose (500 mg/kg). Measurement of cytokine and chemokine expression in lung tissue revealed a significant decrease of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, IL-1a , IL-1b , IL-6, IL-12p40, and MIP-1a mRNA when mice where treated with dexamethasone but not when treated with NAC. Analysis of oxidative burst demonstrated a remarkable reduction of oxygen radicals in BALF neutrophils after treatment with dexamethasone, whereas the effect of NAC was not significantly different from that in untreated animals. In conclusion, dexamethasone exerted both anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects in acute airway inflammation, probably by blocking early events in the inflammatory cascade. In contrast, treatment with NAC resulted in a weak reduction of the inflammatory response but no inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines or reduction of oxidative burst in neutrophils. These results demonstrate dramatic differences in efficiency and also indicate that the two drugs have different actions. Combined treatment with NAC and dexamethasone revealed an additive action but no synergy was observed.

The thermal conductivity ë and the heat capacity per unit volume, rc p , have been measured for a number of common lubricating oils. The oils tested were paraffinic and naphthenic mineral oils and a 50=50 blend of these. Poly-á-olefin, polyglycol, Santotrac, ester and rapeseed oils have also been tested. The measurements, using the transient hot-wire method, were carried out under isothermal conditions over a pressure range from atmospheric to 1.1 GPa and at two temperatures, 295 and 380 K (22 and 107 8C respectively).The temperature had only a marginal effect on thermal conductivity; however, the thermal conductivity was doubled as the pressure was increased to 1 GPa. The heat capacity per unit volume was influenced by both the pressure and the temperature. Some of the lubricants solidified as the pressure increased and the transition from a fluid to a solid state could be detected in the measurements of rc p .The relationship between the thermodynamic properties and the pressure and temperature are described by two empirical equations. These equations can be used in thermal elastohydrodynamic analyses.

Abstract:A mixed lubrication flow factor model that permits real three-dimensional surface topography as input has been developed. Part 1 gives the theory of computing flow factors within the model. In this article, a method of adapting the measured surface topography signal to suit the numerical models is developed and presented in detail. The mixed lubrication model is validated through flow measurements for three different rough surface test specimens. Simulation of a hydrodynamic bearing was conducted and the results are presented in terms of pressure distributions and Stribeck curves covering all lubrication regimes. The results indicate that the model may be an efficient and accurate engineering design and research tool for tribological devices operating in all lubrication regimes.

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