• Tribology and Lubricants
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.101-105
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• 2016

Trap effect of groove is evaluated in a lubricating system using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. The simulation is based on the standard k-ε turbulence model and the discrete phase model (DPM) using a commercial CFD code FLUENT. The simulation results are also capable of showing the particle trajectories in flow field. Computational domain is meshed using the GAMBIT pre-processor. The various grooves are applied in order to improve lubrication characteristics such as reduction of friction loss, increase in load carrying capacity, and trapping of the wear particles. Trap effect of groove is investigated with variations in cross-sectional shape and Reynolds number in this research. Various cross-sectional shapes of groove (rectangular, triangle, U shaped, trapezoid, elliptical shapes) are considered to evaluate the trap effect in simplified two-dimensional sliding bearing. The particles are assumed to steel, and defined a single particle injection condition in various positions. The “reflect” boundary condition for discrete phase is applied to the wall boundary, and the “escape” boundary condition to “pressure inlet” and “pressure outlet” conditions. The streamlines are compared with particles trajectories in the groove. From the results of numerical analysis in the study, it is found that the cross-sectional shapes favorable to the creation of vortex and small eddy current are effective in terms of particle trapping effect. Moreover, it is found that the Reynolds number has a strong influence on the pattern of vortex or small eddy current in the groove, and that the pattern of the vortex or small eddy current affects the trap effect of the groove.