Abstract
Many tribological components in automobile engine undergo high load and sliding speed with thin film thickness. The lubrication characteristics of the components are regarded as ether hydrodynamic lubrication or boundary lubrication, whereas in a working cycle they actually have both characteristics. Many modem engine lubricants have various additives for better performance which make boundary film formation even under hydrodynamic lubrication regime. Conventional Reynolds equation with the viewpoints of continuum mechanics concerns only bulk viscosity of lubricant, which means that its simulation does not give insights on boundary lubrication characteristics. However, many additives of modern engine lubricant provide mixed modes of boundary lubrication characteristics and hydrodynamic lubrication. Especially, high molecular weight polymeric viscosity index improvers form boundary film on the solid surface and cause non-Newtonian fluid effect of shear thinning. This study has performed the investigation about journal bearing system with the mixed concepts of boundary lubrication and hydrodynamic lubrication which happen concurrently in many engine components under the condition of viscosity index improver added.