MECH3100

Mechanical Systems
Design
Tribology

Tribology
Tribology is "the science of the
mechanisms of friction, lubrication,
and wear of interacting surfaces that
are in relative motion", in other
words, the science of the interaction
between two surfaces rubbing
against each other.

Friction Friend or Foe?

Friction causes:
Energy loss / inefficiency
Wear, which can lead to catastrophic
failure of mechanical parts

$100 billion per year spent

replacing worn parts in US alone.

Friction Friend or Foe?

What would the world be like without
friction?
To have a world without friction:
everything would have to be smooth; or
matter would have to be able to pass
through matter

We must conclude:
Friction is both friend and foe

What causes friction

The cause for friction is the surface
roughness.
There would be no friction between
two perfectly smooth surfaces.

Basic Friction Model

N

F=N

How do we measure
Ring Compression Test

% changes in ID and OD are

dependent on coefficient of friction.
Tables can be used to estimate .

Typical Values of
Tyre-Dry Road
Tyre-Wet Road
Glass-Glass
Typical Engineering
0.05 0.9

0.55 0.8
0.35 0.6
1.20 2.75
Application

Temperature of Interface
Small fraction of energy becomes
stored energy in plastically deformed
regions
Majority of energy is converted to heat
Temperature of interface increases with
, speed, low thermal conductivity &
specific heats of sliding materials

Temperature of Interface
Increase in temperature causes:
Softening or melting of the contacting
surfaces, thereby causing a structural
change or mechanical failure
Breakdown of lubricants, thereby
worsening the problem

Wear
Adhesive wear is associated with
the relative motion between two
surfaces in contact - FRICTION
Abrasive wear results from small,
hard abrasive particles

Adhesive Wear

dh
p
=k
u
9 y
dt

Adhesive Wear Coefficient,

k
dh
p
u
=k
dt
9 y

Lubrication is important for metals

5.00E-03
4.00E-03
3.00E-03

Dry

2.00E-03

Wet

1.00E-03
0.00E+00
Nonmetals

Metals

Why Lubricate ?

Reduce adhesive wear

Take the friction heat away
Keep contaminants away
Protect against corrosion

Lubricant Types
Mineral oils
Synthetic lubricants
Greases

Full film lubrication

Oil film is thick enough to separate the two

mating parts. There is no metal-to-metal contact.

Mixed Film Lubrication

The oil film is thick enough to separate most

peaks but there is some metal-to-metal contact

Boundary Lubrication

The oil fills in the volume between the peaks and

troughs on the mating parts. There is extensive
metal-to-metal contact and a high rate of wear.

Hydrostatic Lubrication
Oil is injected under pressure to between the
mating surfaces.
Full-film lubrication is maintained at all
design loads and speeds.
It is costly as you need a pump and the piping
to convey the oil.
On the other hand, this may be the only
option if your application has slow speeds and
frequent reversals.

Hydrodynamic lubrication
Oil sticks to
rotating elements
due to its viscosity
and is splashed
around.
No lubrication at
low speeds
Good lubrication at
high speeds

Viscosity = Rate of Shear

Viscosity
Viscosity is the measure of the internal friction of
a fluid. This friction becomes apparent when a
layer of fluid is made to move in relation to
another layer. The greater the friction, the
greater the amount of force required to cause
this movement, which is called "shear.
Shearing occurs whenever the fluid is physically
moved or distributed, as in pouring, spreading,
spraying, mixing, etc. Highly viscous fluids,
therefore, require more force to move than less
viscous materials.

Viscosity
V2

Force

V1
Newton defined viscosity by using the above model:

V2 V1
dv
F =
=
x
dx

Laminar or Turbulent Flow

du du
Re =
=

m/s
Units ?
m2/s

Saybolt
Viscosimeter
Measures
viscosity in SUS
or Saybolt
Universal
Seconds

Units for viscosity

Absolute Viscosity
Centipoise or cP
1cP = 0.001 N-s/m2

Kinematic viscosity,

CentiStokes or cS
1cS = 10-6 m2/s

SUS - cS Relation
195
[cS ] = 0.226 SUS
SUS
135
[cS ] = 0.220 SUS
SUS

SUS 100
SUS > 100

Viscosity Index
The viscosity
variation is small if
the viscosity index
is high.
Most transmission
oils have a viscosity
index of 85.

Viscosity required for hydrostatic

lubrication of plain bearings

Tyre-Road friction
For Dry
Conditions

Design Issues
Will the tyre-road friction will deliver
required acceleration without sliding?
What is the maximum braking force
you can apply without locking the
wheel?
Lubrication and lubricant selection
Brake wear