• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.189-198
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• 2014

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation of the correlation between the lubrication characteristics of an engine and its fuel economy. Improving the lubrication characteristics of the engine oil is one of the most efficient ways to improve a car's fuel economy. The methods to accomplish this include lowering the viscosity, adding a friction modifier and optimizing the shear stability index of a viscosity index improver. In addition, it is necessary to use different methods to reduce the friction to individual lubrication areas, because different lubrication regimes are used for different engine parts. The experimental investigation in this study is based on design of experiments ; this paper presents the results of a modified Sequence VID test, which is an ASTM standard test used to measure the effects of automotive engine oils on the fuel economy of passenger cars. The results demonstrate the effects of the following lubrication factors on the fuel economy : the low temperature cranking viscosity, high-temperature high shear (HTHS) viscosity, friction modifier, polymer type and shear stability index of the viscosity index improver. Moreover, this study involves an analysis of variance based on design of experiments. The test results show that the HTHS viscosity, friction modifier and shear stability index of the viscosity index improver are more effective than the other factors. Therefore, lowering the viscosity, adding a friction modifier and optimizing the shear stability index of a viscosity index improver should be considered to improve fuel economy.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.117-124
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• 2003

Elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) film is measured under the condition of viscosity index improver added to base oil. In-situ optical contact method using the interference principle make the measuring resolution of ~5 nm possible and enables the measuring range all over the contact area of up to ~300 $\mu\textrm{m}$ diameter. What is more important to the developed method by the author is that the measurement of EHL film thickness is possible in the range from 100 nm to 2 $\mu\textrm{m}$, which is the regime of worst contact failures in precision machinery. Viscosity index improver (VII) is one of the major additives to the modem multigrade lubricants for the viscosity stability against temperature rise. However, it causes shear thinning effects which make the film thickness lessened very delicately at high shear rate (over $10^5 s^{-1}$) of general EHL contact regime. In order to exactly verify the VIIs performance of viscosity stability at such high shear rate, it is necessary to make the measurement of EHL film thickness down to ~100 nm with fine resolution for the preliminary study of viscosity control. In this work, EHL film thickness of VII added lubricant is measured with the resolution of ~5 nm, which will give very informative design tool for the synthesis of lubricants regarding the matter of load carrying capacity at high shear rate condition.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.215-223
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• 2003

Viscosity index improver (VII) is one of the major additives to the modern multigrade lubricants for the viscosity stability against temperature rise. However, it causes shear thinning effects which make the film thickness lessened very delicately at high shear rate $(over\;10^5\;s^{-1})$ of general EHL contact regime. In order to exactly verify the VII's performance of viscosity stability at such high shear rate, it is necessary to make the measurement of EHL film thickness down to $\~100nm$ with fine resolution for the preliminary study of viscosity control. In this work, EHL film thickness of VII added lubricant is measured with the resolution of $\~5nm$, which will give very informative design tool for the synthesis of lubricants regarding the matter of load carrying capacity at high shear rate condition.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.343-353
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• 1999

The role of viscosity index improver's(Ⅶ) additives for modem engine lubrication is complex. Under the condition of atmosphere or low shear rate, the characteristics of Ⅶ added lubricant is verified and quoted frequently for mathematical model of lubricant behavior. However, recent research shows that added lubricant has the characteristics of shear thinning at high shear rate condition although it performs well enough over the whole range of working temperature. At high shear rate, they show significant decrease of apparent viscosity irrespective of temperature. Many experimental researches verify that Ⅶ added lubricant shows boundary film layer formation on the solid surface as well as shear thinning effect by its polymeric molecular characteristics. The intend of our research is to verify the effects of Ⅶ from the viewpoint of continuum mechanics, because conventional Reynolds'equation with only pressure-viscosity relation cannot fully predict the lubricant behavior under the Ⅶ added condition. In these aspects, Reynolds'equation of Newtonian fluid model lacks the reflection of real fluid behavior and there is no way to explain the non-linear characteristics of Ⅶ added lubricant. In this research, we mathematically modeled the Ⅶ added lubricant behaviors which are the characteristics of non-Newtonian fluid behavior at high shear rate and boundary film formation on the solid surface. The consideration of elastic deformation in the contact region is also included in our computation and finally the converged film pressure and the film thickness with elastic deformation are obtained. The results are compared with those of Newtonian fluid model.