A model for the reflection of shear ultrasonic waves at a thin liquid film and its application to viscometry in a journal bearing (original) (raw)
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Viscosity measurement in thin lubricant films using shear ultrasonic reflection
Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part J: Journal of Engineering Tribology, 2008
When a shear ultrasonic wave is incident on a solid and liquid boundary, the proportion that is reflected depends on the liquid viscosity. This is the basis for some instruments for on-line measurement of bulk liquid viscosity. In machine elements, the lubricant is usually present in a thin layer between two rubbing solid surfaces. The thin film has a different response to an ultrasonic shear wave than liquid in bulk. In this work, this response is investigated with the aim of measuring viscosity in situ in a lubricating film. The proportion of the wave reflected at a thin layer depends on the layer stiffness. A shear wave is reflected by the shear stiffness of the thin layer. For a thin viscous liquid layer, the stiffness is a complex quantity dependent on the viscosity, wave frequency, and film thickness. This stiffness is incorporated into a quasi-static spring model of ultrasonic reflection. In this way, the viscosity can be determined from shear-wave reflection if the oil-film ...
Ultrasonic Measurement for Film Thickness and Solid Contact in Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication
Journal of Tribology, 2011
The reflection of ultrasound can be used to determine oil film thickness in elastohydrodynamic lubricated (EHL) contacts if the opposing surfaces are fully separated by the liquid layer. The proportion of the wave amplitude reflected depends on the stiffness of the liquid layer, which is a function of its bulk modulus and thickness. However, in many practical applications, boundary or mixed film lubrication is a common occurrence as the nominal thickness of the separating film is of a similar order to the height of the surface asperities. The reflection is then dependent on both the liquid contact and solid contact parts and the total interfacial stiffness is the controlling parameter. In this paper an investigation was carried to study the reflection of ultrasonic waves from the lubricated contact between a sliding steel ball and a flat steel disc when substantial solid contact occurs. To interpret the ultrasonic reflection results, a mixed regime model for a circular point contact...
A Method for the Measurement of Hydrodynamic Oil Films Using Ultrasonic Reflection
Tribology Letters, 2004
The measurement of the thickness of an oil film in a lubricated component is essential information for performance monitoring and control. In this work a new method for oil film thickness measurement, based on the reflection of ultrasound, is evaluated for use in fluid film journal bearing applications. An ultrasonic wave will be partially reflected when it strikes a thin layer between two solid media. The proportion of the wave reflected depends on the thickness of the layer and its acoustic properties. A simple quasi-static spring model shows how the reflection depends on the stiffness of the layer alone. This method has been first evaluated using flat plates separated by a film of oil, and then used in the measurement of oil films in a hydrodynamic journal bearing. A transducer is mounted on the outside of the journal and a pulse propagated through the shell. The pulse is reflected back at the oil film and received by the same transducer. The amplitude of the reflected wave is processed in the frequency domain. The spring model is then used to determine the oil film stiffness that can be readily converted to film thickness. Whilst the reflected amplitude of the wave is dependent on the frequency component, the measured film thickness is not; this indicates that the quasi-static assumption holds. Measurements of the lubricant film generated in a simple journal bearing have been taken over a range of loads and speeds. The results are compared with predictions from classical hydrodynamic lubrication theory. The technique has also been used to measure oil film thickness during transient loading events. The response time is rapid and film thickness variation due to step changes in load and oil feed pressure can be clearly observed.
Calibration of the ultrasonic lubricant-film thickness measurement technique
Measurement Science and Technology, 2005
This paper describes an experimental apparatus and procedure for the calibration of the ultrasonic lubricant-film thickness measurement technique. It also presents a study of the accuracy of the technique. The calibration apparatus is demonstrated on a three layer steel-mineral oil-steel system. This was chosen to be representative of a typical bearing system which is the industrial application of the technique. In such bearing systems the lubricant-film thickness typically ranges from 0.1 to 100 µm. The calibration apparatus uses a high precision piezoelectric displacement translator to controllably displace one of the steel surfaces relative to the other and hence alter the lubricant-film thickness by a known amount. Through-thickness resonant frequency measurements are then used to accurately measure a thick lubricant film (h > 10 µm). These resonant frequency measurements form the starting point of the calibration. The displacement translator is then used to reduce the lubricant-film thickness into the, more practically interesting, low micron range. In this range the amplitude of the measured reflection coefficient is used via a spring interface model to calculate the lubricant-film thickness. Issues of ultrasonic beam alignment and frequency of operation are discussed. A detailed study of the effect of reflection-coefficient errors on the resultant thickness measurement is presented. Practical guidelines for use of the calibration are then defined and calibration is demonstrated experimentally over the range 0.5-1.3 µm.
Tribology International, 2011
Viscosity is the most important lubricant property that affects bearing performance. It controls the film thickness that is established during operation. In this study, an ultrasonic method was used to measure the viscosity profile around a static journal bearing by using shear reflection coefficients. The technique introduced was found to be promising and acceptable results were obtained for certain regions of the journal bearing circumference. It proved to be critical to use the right model for determining viscosity from the layer response to a shear ultrasonic pulse. This study serves as a preliminary work for developing viscosity measurement in a rotating journal bearing.
Viscosity is the most important property of a lubricant that can affect bearing performance. It controls the film thickness that is established during an operation. In this study, the ultrasonic method was used to measure the static viscosity profile around a journal bearing by using shear reflection coefficients at several locations around the journal bearing. This enables the viscosity profile to be established. The technique introduced was found to be successful and acceptable results were obtained from certain regions of the journal bearing flow. This study serves as a preliminary work for developing viscosity measurement in a rotating journal bearing.
Acoustic measurement of lubricant-film thickness distribution in ball bearings
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2006
An oil-film thickness monitoring system capable of providing an early warning of lubrication failure in rolling element bearings has been developed. The system is used to measure the lubricant-film thickness in a conventional deep groove ball bearing ͑shaft diameter 80 mm, ball diameter 12.7 mm͒. The measurement system comprises a 50 MHz broadband ultrasonic focused transducer mounted on the static outer raceway of the bearing. Typically the lubricant-films in rolling element bearings are between 0.1-1.0 m in thickness and so are significantly smaller than the ultrasonic wavelength. A quasistatic spring model is used to calculate oil-film thickness from the measured reflection coefficient data. An accurate triggering system has been developed to enable multiple reflection coefficient measurements to be made as the contact ellipse sweeps over the measurement location. Experiments are described in which the loading conditions and rotational speed are varied. Lubricant-film thickness distributions measured ultrasonically are described and are shown to agree well with the predictions from classical elastohydrodynamic ͑EHD͒ lubrication theory, particularly at high radial loads and low rotary speeds. A range of parameters affecting the performance of the measurement are discussed and the limits of operation of the measurement technique defined.
Ultrasonic measurement of lubricant film thickness in sliding bearings with thin liners
Measurement Science and Technology, 2014
The lubricant film thickness in sliding bearings with a thin liner have previously been immeasurable due to the overlapping of ultrasonic signals making the use of the ultrasonic spring model impossible. In this paper, we firstly modeled the overlapped echoes in terms of superimposed Gaussian echoes corrupted by noise and used the EM algorithms to extract the interested echo. Then the extracted echo was used to obtain the lubricant film thickness by an ultrasonic spring model. A high precision calibrated rig which could form a series of known film thicknesses was set up and the performance of the method was shown to work well.
Ultrasonic measurement of lubricant film thickness in sliding Bearings with overlapped echoes
Tribology International, 2015
The lubricant film thickness in sliding bearings with a thin liner have previously been immeasurable due to the overlapping of ultrasonic signals making the use of the ultrasonic spring model impossible. In this paper, we firstly modeled the overlapped echoes in terms of superimposed Gaussian echoes corrupted by noise and used the EM algorithms to extract the interested echo. Then the extracted echo was used to obtain the lubricant film thickness by an ultrasonic spring model. A high precision calibrated rig which could form a series of known film thicknesses was set up and the performance of the method was shown to work well.
Operating Limits for Acoustic Measurement of Rolling Bearing Oil Film Thickness
Tribology Transactions, 2004
An ultrasonic pulse striking a thin layer of liquid trapped between solid bodies will be partially reflected. The proportion reflected is a function of the layer stiffness, which in turn depends on the film thickness and its bulk modulus. In this work, measurements of reflection have been used to determine the thickness of oil films in elastohydrodynamic lubricated (EHL) contacts. A very thin liquid layer behaves like a spring when struck by an ultrasonic pulse. A simple quasi-static spring model can be used to determine the proportion of the ultrasonic waves reflected.