Tribology

Intemclfional
Printed

ELSE\JIER
SCIENCE;

PII:

Vol.

30, No. 6. pp. 401408.

1997
0 1997 Elsevier
Science
Ltd
in Great Britain.
All rights reserved
0301479x/97/$17.00
+o.oo

SO301-679X(96)00069-2

Numerical
analysis
of grease
ermal elastohydrodynamic
lubrication
problems
using the
Herschel-Bulkley
model
Jin-Gyoo

Yoo and Kyung-Woong

Kim

Grease thermal
elastohydrodynamic
lubrication
(TEHL) problems
of ine contacts
are analysed
numerically.
The effects of
temperature
and rheological
parameters
on grease TEHL are
investigated
using the Herschel-Bulkley
model
as a rheological
model
of greases. The pressure
distribution,
the shape of grease
film, mean film temperature
and surface temperature
of solid wall
in .ine contacts
are obtained.
It is found that thermal
effects on
the minimum
film thickness
become
remarkable
at high rolling
speeds. The effect of yield stress of the Herschel-Bulkley
model
on minimum
film thickness
is negligible,
while the flow index and
viscosity
parameter
have significant
effects on minimum
film
thickness.
0 1997 Elsevier
Science
Ltd
Keywords:
grease,
Bu,kley model

thermal

elastohydrodynamic

iubrication,

Introduction
Elastohydrodynamic
lubrication
(EHL) theory is the
interpretative
theory of lubrication phenomena in rolling bearing, gear and cam mechanisms. This theory
is used in the determination of minimum film thickness
which is a very important factor in the design of
machine elements. To avoid metal-to-metal contact, the
appropriate minimum film thickness
must be maintain.ed.
Sicce the first numerical solution considering elastic
deformation and the viscosity-pressure
relationship was
obtained by Dowson and Higginson
in 1959, many
theoretical and experimental researches in EHL have
been carried out and the results have been applied to
the design process of many kinds of machine elements
practically.
In most EHL analyses, the lubricant has
been considered as a Newtonian fluid and the temperature effects on the density and the viscosity have been
Departn~ent
of Mechanical
Engineering,
Korea Advanced
Institute
of Science and Techrlology,
373-l Ku&g-dong,
Yushrzg-gu,
Taejdrz
305-701.
Korea
Receizled 19 June 1995; revised 23 Septe&er
1996; accepted
14
0c;ober
1996
Co*-respondence
should be addressed
to Prqf
Kyung- Woong Kirn.
E-ruxil:
tnelzo@cais.knist.ac.kr

Tribology

Herschel-

ignored assuming an isothermal process. However, in

the case of a high speed rolling bearing lubricated with
a non-Newtonian fluid, both the temperature effects on
the density and the viscosity and the non-Newtonian
effect become significant, and thermal non-Newtonian
EHL analysis2 is needed for prediction of a more
accurate minimum film thickness.
Grease which is widely used in many applications, for
example electric motors, household electric appliances,
measuring instruments etc., is a typical non-Newtonian
lubricant. Although the EHL theory of oil lubrication
is well documented, the EHL theory of grease lubrication is not well established because of the complexity
of its rheological properties.
Kauzlarich and Greenwood3 published the first theoretical analysis of EHL with grease in 1972. They formulated the Reynolds equation with the Herschel-Bulkley
model and examined the validity of this model. Wada
et al. obtained a numerical solution of grease film
shape and pressure distribution using the Bingham
model. Jonkisz and Krzeminski-FredaSz6, Zhu and
Neng and Cheng8 obtained a numerical solution of
EHL problems with Herschel-Bulkley model grease
and compared it with experimental results. Dong and
Qian9 obtained a numerical solution of an EHL problem with Bauer model grease. However all of them

International

Volume

30 Number

6 1997

401

Grease thermal EHD lubrication

problems: Jin-Gyoo

assumed isothermal
conditions because of the complexity of the rheological properties of grease.
In the present paper, thermal elastohydrodynamic
lubrication problems of line contacts with Herschel-Bulkley
model grease are investigated numerically.

A TEHL

analysis

Problem

description

of line

contacts

Yoo and Kyung-Woong

(2) dPldX

Kim

< 0

+ K (PH - PA)
off+

= o

where
K = 23n + (nz + 2)U

In the present paper, the problem is to find the pressure

distribution,
film thickness
and temperature
profiles
between two infinitely long cylinders of radii R,, Rz
that are lubricated with grease and are rolling at a
speed UC and applied load w per unit axial length.
The Herschel-Bulkley
model is used to describe the
rheological properties of grease.
The system is assumed to be under steady-state and
pure rolling conditions. From the viewpoint
of mathematical analysis, the contact between the two cylinders
can be adequately described by an equivalent cylinder
of radius R near a plane where (l/R) = (l/R,) + (l/R,).
Governing

equations

The modified Reynolds equation for the HerschelBulkley model grease can be derived from the NavierStokes equation and continuity
equation neglecting
inertia forces and gravity force of grease. According
to the Herschel-Bulkley
model, shear stress in lubricating film r is given as:
7 = 1-Lry + rlsl?ll

(1)

where rY is yield stress, ns is a viscosity parameter,

9 is shear rate and II is flow index. Introducing
the
following
dimensionless
parameters:

filled by the plug

Subscript e means the point where dPldX = 0.

In thermalEHL,
the film thickness H, the viscosity
parameter qs and the yield stress rY which appear in
the Reynolds equ_ation, are dependent on pressure P
and temperature T.
Owing to high pressure and temperature variation in
EHL contacts, the change of the viscosity and the
density of grease is very large. It is assumed that the
viscosity parameter-pressure-temperature relationship
and the yield stress-pressure-temperature relationship
of grease are the same as viscosity-pressure-temperature relationship which was originally proposed by
Roelands and modified by Sadeghi and Sui using
SI units for lubricating oil. The viscosity parameter
and the yield stress in dimensionless form are given as:
K = exp { [ In (qsO) + 9.67 ][ - 1 +
(1 + 5.1 X 10p9p,P)zE] - yT,(T - 1)}
ry = exp { [ ln(r,,)

(4)

+ 9.67][ - 1 +

(1 + 5.1 X 10p9p,P)ZT] - yT,(T - I)}

(5)

where r/so is in Pa.?, rYO is in Pa, pH is in Pa, y is

the temperature-viscosity coefficient of the lubricant,
and ZE and ZT are expressed as follows by means
of the pressure-viscosity coefficient of grease (Y, 7Y0
or x0.
01

1
-=n

ZE =

m
where x, y are coordinates in the rolling direction and
across the film, h is film thickness, p is pressure, p is
density, T is temperature, E is elastic modulus, v is
Poissons ratio of the cylinder, b = Rd8W/n-) is the
half Hertzian width, pH ( = E + W/27r) is maximum
Hertzian pressure, subscript o means the atmospheric
state in the inlet region, and the Reynolds equation
can be written in dimensionless form as follows:
(1) dP/dX > 0

ZT =

5.1 X 109[ ln(q,,> + 9.671

a
5.1 X 109[ Mr,,)

+ 9.671

The variation of the flow index n with pressure and

temperature are constant in the present paper. The
dimensionless density-pressure-temperature relationship is given as:
p=

0.58 x 10-9p,p
1
+
1.68 x 10-9p,P I
[
[ 1 - ET,@ - l)]
1+

(6)

where E is the coefficient of thermal expansivity of

the grease.
K

(PN

&He)

pH+=

402

Tribology

International

(2)

The dimensionless film shape H can be expressed as:

Volume 30 Number 6 1997

Grease

thermal

EHD lubrication

problems:

Jin-Gyoo

Yoo and Kyung-Woong

Kim

X Cd

H-H..;-&

i Xrm P(X)

whe:-e Ho is a constant
diticn.
The load condition
expressed as:

which

In (X - X)dX

(7)
is decided by load con-

in dimensionless

form

H(H

- Hp)m + 3 +

(H-

Hp)m+4

(m + 2)(m + 3)(m f 4)
3

can be

X end

P(x)dx = ;
mm
The boundary conditions for the Reynolds
expressed in dimensionless
form as:

(8)

equation are

P = 0 at X = Xmin
P = 0 and g

= 0 at X = Xend

(9)

Subscripts min and end mean inlet and exit location

of the film, respectively.
The inlet location
Hertzian half-width
contact region.

Xmin is chosen at four times the

from the centre of the Hertzian

The temperature distribution

within the grease film is
determined from the solution of the energy equation
under appropriate boundary conditions. The following
assumptions
are made in the development
of the
energy equation.
(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

The thermal conductivity

k, specific heat c and
coefficient
of thermal expansivity
E are independent of both pressure and temperature. The
variation of k, c and E with pressure and temperature were not considered in our paper because of
lack of data.
Since the grease film thickness is much smaller
than the length of the contact region, the heat
conduction in the rolling direction (x) is much
smaller than that in the cross direction (y) and
can be neglected in the temperature calculation.
For line contact, the cross heat convection term
is much smaller than that in the rolling direction12
and therefore can be neglected in the temperature calculation.
To make the problem simple, the viscosity
and
the density of grease take constant values across
the film corresponding
to the mean temperature
(T,) across the film and that dT/ax can be
replaced by dT,,,l~?x, where T, is defined as:

H(H

- HJ

+3

(11)

(2) dP/dX < 0

-

(T,

- T,)H =

KA ; $$

- KB T, g

( - KcH3

-KD[[-$~j(H-Hp)-+(l,+4)
---

,,
H(H - Hp)m + 3

+ (m + 2)(m + 3)(m + 4)
3
m
H3(H

- Hp)m +

-KE{+$g)
(H-H,)+3-(m+3)<
H(H - H,,) + 2 ]-KF{<(-+~)~+
mtl
(H-H,)+4-(m+4)rl,
H(H - H,)

+3

(12)

h/Z

T,(x)

= ;

Vw)dy
(10)
-h/2
Applying the above assumptions, substituting the velocity distribution into the dimensionless energy equation
an3 integrating this equation twice over the range from
-1112 to h/2, we obtain the following energy equations:
(11 dP/dX

where:
K

KB =g

> 0

64
KD = (m + l)(m + 2)(m + 3)(m + 4)
Tribology

International

Volume

30 Number

6 1997

403

Grease

thermal

El-ID lubrication

problems:

Jin-Gyoo

Yoo and Kyung-Woong

Kim

calculate initial film thickness,

16

1
The boundary conditions for the energy
dimensionless form are expressed as:

in

(13)

Y) = l

T(xmin,

equation

F-(X, l/2) = T(X ) - l/2) = T,

(14)

As for the surface temperature of the solid wall T,,

the following
expression (15) which is obtained13 as
the expression for the surface temperature of a semiinfinite solid subjected to a moving heat source solving
the transient heat conduction equation for the case of
linear heat flow is used.

T,(X) = 1 + K,

x
m,n H(X - X)

dx

1 yes

(15)

where
314

k
Ks = (rrk,p,c,UCR)12

23

STOP

Fig. 1 Flow
Computation

procedure

To find the solution of the TEHL problem, we have to

solve the Reynolds equations and the energy equation
simultaneously.
The integration method used in the
calculation of Equation (7) was that of Houpert and
Hamrock.
The procedure to get the numerical solution
of the TEHL problem is shown in the flow chart in
Fig. 1. The Reynolds equations are solved by Eulers
difference method, the Newton-Raphson
method and
Gauss elimination method. The convergence
for the
Reynolds equations is judged from the relative error
ep to be:

I=
Ep

5 10-s

=
5

/ pi"'

(16)

I)/

i=l

where

K is the iteration

number.

The energy equations are solved by Eulers difference

method and the Gauss-Seidel
iterative method. The
convergence for the energy equations is judged from
the relative error Ed to be

404

chart

Tribology

International

Volume

30 Number

i
i=
ET

/ p-+ 1)- pv
1

10-6

(17)

1c(K+ I)/

z=l

The constant values given in Table 1 are used for

properties of the grease and cylinder in the numerical
calculations unless otherwise stated.

Results

and discussion

Table 2 shows numerical results of isothermal EHL

analysis and thermal EHL analysis for the values of
PH = 0.4 GPa and various rolling speeds UC. As the
rolling speed increases, the difference between the
minimum film thickness obtained by isothermal EHL
analysis and that obtained by thermal EHL analysis
increases primarily due to heat generation in the film.
The minimum film thicknesses
obtained by thermal
EHL analysis are 10 to 40% smaller than those
obtained by isothermal EHL analysis at a high rolling
speed. Figures 2 and 3 show the pressure distributions
and the film shapes for various rolling speeds, respect6 1997

Grease
Table 1 Cylinder

and lubricant

thermal

EHD lubrication

problems:

Jin-Gyoo

Yoo and Kyung-Woong

Kim

properties

inlet temperature
of lubricant
(T,)
Inlet density of lubricant (pO)
Pressure-viscosity
coefficient of lubricant (a)
Temperature-viscosity
coefficient of lubricant (y)
Coefficient of lubricant thermal expansivity (4
Thermal conductivity
of lubricant (k)
Specific heat of lubricant (c)

313 K

Equivalent radius of cylinder (R)

Elastic modulus of cylinder (0
Poissons ratio of cylinder (v)
Thermal conductivity
of cylinder (k,)
Specific heat of cylinder (c,.
Density of cylinder (pc)

0.02 m
200 x lOsPa
0.3

919 kg/m3
1.136 x IO8 Pa-
0.04666
K-
6.5 x 1O-4 K-
0.1457 W/m . K
2306 J/kg . K

47 W/m . K
460 J/kg
7850 kg/m3

Yield stress of grease (T,,&

Viscosity parameter of grease (~~1
Flow index (n)

139.3 Pa
Pas

21.98
0.63

Table2 Minimum film thickness and maximum mean film temperature

rise and maximum
temperature
rise (P, = 0.4 GPa, 7y0 = 139.8 Pa, rlsO = 21.98 Pas, n = 0.63)
Rolling
spezd

Dimensionless
isothermal min.
film thickness,
Hmin

(m/s)

0.53357
0.75581
1.17607
1.63580
2.26686
2.72574

2
5

10
20
30

a
s
K
Pi
a
3
2
5

'2
5
E
a

Dimensionless
thermal
min. film
thickness,
Hmin

Max.
mean film
temperature
rise (K)

Max.
surface
temperature
rise (K)

Ratio
of thermal
to isothermal
film thickness

0.2528
0.4513

0.98501
0.96707
0.92458

0.3479

0.52561

0.73092
1.08737
1.36302
1.58026
1.73374

surface

0.8330
3.0242
7.3152
17.137

2.4774

0.697 11

27.159

3.2941

0.63606

0.9430
1.5179

0.83324

1.5
----- UC= 2 m/s
---------.. .

UC
UC
UC
UC

=
=
=
=

~
--------------. . . . -.

5 m/s
lOm/s
20m,s
30&

UC
UC
UC
UC
UC
UC

=
=
=
=
=
=

1 m/s
2 m/s
5 m/s
lOm/s
pJm/s
3om,s

.5

-4

-3

-2

-1
X

Fig. 2 Pressure distribution for different rolling speeds

U, (PH = 0.4 GPa, ryO = 139.8 Pa, qSO= 21.98 Pas,
n = 0.63)

ively. It can be seen that the pressure peak moves

towards the centre of the contact region with increasing
rolling speeds, and that the film shapes become flatter
in the Hertzian contact region as the rolling speed
decreases. Figures 4 and 5 show the mean film temTribology

-4

-3

-2

-1

X
Fig. 3 Film shape for diflerent rolling speeds UC (PH
= 0.4 GPa, 7yo = 139.8 Pa, ~~~ = 21.98 Pas, n
= 0.63)

peratures and the surface temperature distribution of

the cylinder for various rolling speeds, respectively.
As the rolling speed increases, both the mean film
temperatures and the surface temperatures of the cylinInternational

Volume 30 Number 6 1997

405

Grease

thermal

EHD lubrication

problems:

Fig. 4 Mean $lm temperature

for
speeds U, (PH = 0.4 GPa, ryO =
21.98 Pas, n = 0.63)

1 ---------

Uc = 25I m/s
UC
m/s

,- ,__------._

UC = lOm/s
_..-..UC = zom/s
. ~~.. UC = SO&

I
,,f

Jin-Gyoo

diflerent
rolling
139.8 Pa, qSO =

-.

, *,
,_/----_.

-._*

-*

>\

>\

Yoo and Kyung-Woong

Kim

Fig. 7 Film shape (UC = IO m/s, PH = 0.4 GPa, qSO

= 21.98 Pas, n = 0.63)

-x

___.-.

a
22

313

-4

-3

-2

-1

-4
1

-3

-2

.I

X
Fig. 5 Solid surface temperature for diflerent rolling
speeds UC (PH = 0.4 GPa, ryO = 139.8 Pa, qSO =
21.98 Pas, n = 0.63)

-1

Fig. 8 Pressure distribution (UC =

0.4 GPa, ryO = 139.8, n = 0.63)

10 m/s, P,

der increase. The mean film temperature rises to a

maximum value near the entrance to the Hertzian
contact region, while the surface temperature takes its
maximum value in the Hertzian contact region. The
mean film temperature drops in the Hertzian contact
region.

EHL analysis for the values of UC = 10 m/s, P, =

0.4 GPa, respectively. According to Figs 6 and 7 where
all curves corresponding to any value of rYO nearly
coincide with each other, the effect of yield stress ryO
on minimum film thickness is negligible as in the case
of isothermal EHL analysis. The yield stress has some
effect on film thickness when the yield stress is high
and viscosity parameter is 10~~.

Figures 6 and 7 show the effect of yield stress rYo on

the pressure distribution and the film shape in thermal

Table 3 and Figs 8 and 9 show the effect of the

viscosity parameter qSOon the minimum film thickness,

SOL

Fig. 6 Pressure distribution (UC = IO m/s, PH =

0.4 GPa, r],, = 21.98 Pas, n = 0.63)
406

Triboiogy

International

-4

-3

-2

-1
X

Fig. 9 Film shape (UC = IO m/s, P, = 0.4 GPa, rrO

= 139.8 Pa, n = 0.63)

Volume 30 Number 6 1997

Grease

thermal

Table 3 Isothermal
minimum
film
0.4GPa, ryO = 139.8 Pa, n = 0.63)

EHD lubrication

thickness

problems:

and thermal

minimum

Dimensionless
isothermal
minimum
film thickness,
Hmin

Viscosity
parameter,
rlso
(Pas)

0.60
0.613
0.66
0.70
-

thickness

and thermal

minimum

0.9 1688
0.85638
0.83670
0.81370

film

thickness

(UC = 10 m/s,

Dimensionless
isothermal
minimum
film thickness,
Hmin

Dimensionless
thermal
minimum
film thickness,
Hmin

Ratio
of thermal
to isothermal
film thickness

1.I37542
1.635797
2.295712
3.358974

1.031371
1.400858
1.886916
2.601375

0.90667
0.85638
0.82193
0.77446

Table 4 and Figs 10 and 11 show the effect of flow

index y1 on TEHL performances in the same manner
as Table 3 and Figs 8 and 9. As the flow index n
becomes larger, the film thickness increases as in the
case of isothermal EHL analysis, and the difference
between the minimum film thickness obtained by iso-

l-

P,, =

n=0.60
--- n=0.63
----n=Q,66
-~-- n=0.70

E
GO

-4

-3

-2

-1
x

Fig. I I Film

1.5

fH =

Ratio
of thermal
to isothermal
film thickness

the pressure distribution and the film shape in thermal

EHL analysis for the values of UC = 10 m/s and P,
= 0.4 GPa, respectively. As the viscosity parameter qSO
becomes larger, the film thickness increases similarly to
the case of isothermal EHL analysis, and the difference
between the minimum film thickness obtained by isothe:-ma1 EHL analysis and that obtained by thermal
EHL analysis increases.

a
ii
2
2
9,
2
22
z
'I7

Kim

(UC = 10 m/s,

0.8070543
1.400858
1.732164
2.079722

Table 4 Isothermal
minimum
film thickness
0.4 GPa, T,,~ = 139.8 Pa, qSO = 21.98 Pas)
Rheological
index,

film

Yoo and Kyung-Woong

Dimensionless
thermal
minimum
film thickness,
Hmin

0.8802209
1.635797
2.070231
2.555876

IO
21.9%
30
40

Jin-Gyoo

shape

(UC = 10 m/s, P,

= 0.4 GPa,

2
ryO

= 139.8 Pa, qSO= 21.98 Pas)

___
----~----..-.. -

n=O.60
nzO.63
nzO.66
n=o.yo

thermal EHL analysis and that obtained by thermal

EHL analysis increases.

.5 -

2
a
0
-4
Fig. 10 Pressure
0.4 GPa, 7y0 =

-3

-2

-1
X

distribution
(UC = 10 m/s,
139.8 Pa, -rlsO= 21.98 Pas)

1
PH

Tribology

The above results show that minimum film thickness

obtained by thermal EHL analysis is less than that by
isothermal EHL analysis, and the qualitative characteristics of the effects of the rheological parameters on
the EHL performances in thermal EHL analysis are
similar to those in isothermal EHL analysis. The flow
index n and viscosity parameter rig0 have significant
effects on the pressure distribution and the film shape
of the EHL problems with grease, although the effects
of yield stress 7Y0on the pressure distribution and the
film shape are negligible.
International

Volume 30 Number 6 1997

407

Grease

thermal

EHD lubrication

problems:

Jin-Gyoo

A numerical analysis method for grease TEHL has

been developed using the Herschel-Bulkley
model, and
numerical calculations are carried out by means of the
method. The findings are summarized as follows:
(1) Thermal effects on the TEHL performances
cannot be negligible, and at high rolling speeds the
effects become very significant.
(2) At high rolling speeds, the yield stress of the
Herschel-Bulkley
model has negligible effect on
the TEHL performance.
(3) The flow index and viscosity
parameter of the
Herschel-Bulkley
model have significant effects
on the TEHL performance.
References
Higginson,
problems.

G.R. A numerical
solution
to the
J. Mech. Eng. Sci., 1959, 1, h-15

2. Salehizadeh,
H. and Saka, N. Thermal non-Newtonian
elastohydrodynamic
lubrication
of rolling line contacts. ASME /. Tribal.
1991. 113, MI-491
3. Kauzlarich,
J.J. and Greenwood,
J.A. Elastohydrodynamic
lubrication
with Herschel-Bulkley
model greases. ASLE Tmns.
1972. 15. 269-277
4. Wada,
S., Hayashi,
H., Haga, K., Kawakami,
Y. and Okajima,
M. Elastohydrodynamic
lubrication
of a Bingham
solid.
Bull. JSME 1977, 20, 110-115
5. Jonkisz,
W. and Krzeminski-Freda,
and shape of an elastohydrodynamic
55, 81-89

408

Tribology

Kim

6. Jonkisz,
W. and Krzeminski-Freda,
tohydrodynamic
grease films. Wear

Conclusions

1. Dowson,
D. and
elastohydrodynamic

Yoo and Kyung-Woong

International

H. Pressure
grease film.

Volume

distribution
Wear 1979,

30 Number

H. The properties
1982. II. 277-285

7. Zhu, W.S. and Neng, Y.T. A theoretical

of EHL lubricated
with grease. ASME
38-43
8. Cheng,
J. Elastohydrodynamic
numerical
solution
in line
711-718

of elas-

and experimental
study
J. Tribal.
1988, 110.

grease lubrication
theory
contacts.
Tribal.
Tram.
1994,

and
37,

9. Dong, D. and Qian, X. A theory of elastohydrodynamic

greaselubricated
contact based on a refined rheological
model. Tribol.
Inr. 1988, 21, 261-267
10. Roelands,
C.J.A.,
viscosity
temperature
its correlation
with
1963. 601

Vlugter,
pressure
chemical

F. and Sui,
11. Sadeghi,
cation of rolling/sliding
189-195

J.C. and Watermann,

H.I. The
relationship
of lubricating
oils and
constitution.
ASME J. Basic Eng.

P.C. Thermal
elastohydrodynamic
lubricontacts. ASME J. Tribal.
1990, 112,

12. Cheng.
H.S. and Sternlicht.
B. A numerical
solution
for the
pressure, temperature,
and film thickness
between two infinitely
long. lubricated
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