Viscosity measurement in thin lubricant films using shear ultrasonic reflection (original) (raw)
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Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part J: Journal of Engineering Tribology, 2015
The apparent viscosity of oils in the thin layers that exist in machine elements such as gears and bearings is very different to that in the bulk. In addition, oils in lubricating layers are characterized by non-Newtonian behaviour due to the severe thermodynamic conditions that arise. It is this viscosity that determines the film thickness in lubricated mechanical components. This paper describes a novel methodology based on an ultrasonic approach to determine viscosity in situ in a lubricated contact. The methodology considers the lubricant at the solid boundary as a Maxwell viscoelastic fluid and determines its response to an ultrasonic wave. This approach is then compared with existing methodologies in both a static contact and in a rotating journal bearing. The obtained results have shown that the algorithm proposed in this study is most suitable to study lubricants in the range of 0.3–3 Pas and the measurement error has been found to be less than 10%. This viscosity range is c...
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.
Determination of the viscosity parameters for an ultra thin liquid layer in lubrication
2013
This paper presents a new method for the estimation and, consequently, a new method of liquid viscosity measurements for non-Newtonian liquids retained in ultra thin layer. Essentially the test stand consists of a Piezoelectric Tuning Fork (PTF) and an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). This method is to be based on the measurements of the amplitude values of PTF vibrations inside the liquid region using AFM and other devices described in this paper. Vibration implies a share rate in liquid and this implies changes of the apparent viscosity of non-Newtonian liquids. During measurements, the ultra thin layer of liquid is laying on the solid substratum. This solid substratum imitates the superficial layer on cooperating bearing surfaces. Experimental measurements prove that the physical properties of superficial layers have a significant influence on the liquid viscosity in ultra thin liquid layers. Viscosity changes within ultra thin layer in relation to height.
Ultrasonics, 2019
In-situ measurement of viscosity advances the field of rheology, and aides the development of sensing systems for condition and performance monitoring of lubricated mechanisms. Many lubricated mechanisms, such as journal bearings or seals, are characterised by three-layer interfaces; an oil separating two solid (usually metallic) bodies. The viscoelastic study of the lubricating oil in layered systems is possible in-situ by means of ultrasonic reflection (Schirru et al. (2015)). General solutions exist for the reflection of longitudinal plane waves from multi-layered solid-fluid systems. Similar solutions can be applied to plane shear waves. The use of a quarter-wavelength intermediate matching layer improves the sensitivity of the ultrasonic measurement and overcomes problems of acoustic mismatch. This opens the possibility of using reflectance methods to measure engineering (metal-oil) bearing applications that are acoustically mismatched. In this paper, a rigorous mathematical model for wave propagation in a three-layer system is solved for the reflection coefficient modulus and validated using a quarter wavelength ultrasonic viscometer. The model was tested against experimental data for two Newtonian reference fluids, water and hexadecane, and for one non-Newtonian reference fluid, squalene plus polyisoprene (SQL + PIP), measured ultrasonically at frequencies between 5 and 15 MHz. The results are in agreement with the expected viscosity values for the reference fluids. Further, the viscosity measurement is not limited to the resonance frequency, but it is performed over a broad band frequency range. This is important to improve measurement confidence and accurate spectroscopy measurement for the determination of viscoelastic properties.
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...
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.
Liquid dynamic viscosity measurement by ultrasonic wave mode conversion
2005
This work presents a cell to measure the liquid dynamic viscosity using an ultrasonic wave mode conversion from longitudinal to shear wave and vice-versa. A prototype-measuring cell was constructed to test the proposed method. Measurements of the viscosity of automotive oils (SAE 90 and SAE140) were obtained in the frequency range from 1 to 10 MHz. These results are also compared with the Maxwell model with two relaxation times, showing the dependency of dynamic viscosity with the frequency of the shear wave. The experimental data are in good agreement with those provided by the Maxwell model.
Ultrasonic oil-film thickness measurement: An angular spectrum approach to assess performance limits
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2007
The performance of ultrasonic oil-film thickness measurement is explored. A ball bearing (type 6016, shaft diameter 80 mm, ball diameter 12.7 mm) is used with a 50 MHz focused ultrasonic transducer mounted on the static shell of the bearing and focused on the oil film. In order to explore the lowest reflection coefficient and hence the thinnest oil-film thickness that the system can measure, three kinds of lubricant oils (Shell T68, VG15 and VG5) with different viscosities were tested. The results
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.
A modified viscosity approach for shear thinning lubricants
Physics of Fluids
Lubrication is essential to minimize wear and friction between contacting surfaces in relative motion. Oil based lubricants are often enhanced via polymer additives to minimize self-degradation due to the shear thinning effect. Therefore, an accurate estimate of the load carrying capacity of the thin lubricating film requires careful modeling of shear thinning. Available models such as the generalized Reynolds equation (GR) and the approximate shear distribution have drawbacks such as large computational time and poor accuracy, respectively. In this work, we present a new approach, i.e., the modified viscosity (MV) model, based on calculating the strain rate only in one point along the vertical direction. We investigate, for both MV and GR, the load, the maximum pressure, and the computational time for (i) sliding (non-cavitating) contacts, (ii) cavitating, and (iii) squeezing contacts. We observe that the computational time is reduced (i) considerably for non-cavitating sliding and...