MICROASPERITY LUBRICATION OFFERS A MEANS OF ASSURING CONTROLLED HYDRODYNAMIC LUBRICATION APPLICABLE TO NEARLY ALL TYPES OF LUBRICATED MACHINERY.

MICROASPERITY LUBRICATION OFFERS A MEANS OF ASSURING CONTROLLED HYDRODYNAMIC LUBRICATION APPLICABLE TO NEARLY ALL TYPES OF LUBRICATED MACHINERY. PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS CONCENTRATED ON "POSITIVE" ASPERITIES, I.E., PROTRUSIONS FROM THE SURFACE, AND HAS SHOWN SUCH GEOMETRY TO BE QUITE EFFECTIVE IN THE INTENDED PURPOSE. HOWEVER, THERE IS PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE THAT "NEGATIVE" ASPERITIES, I.E., DEPRESSIONS IN THE SURFACE, MAY BE JUST AS EFFECTIVE BUT, ADDITIONALLY, CAUSE LESS LEAKAGE FROM SEALS. THE PROPOSED PHASE I RESEARCH WILL EXPERIMENTALLY STUDY AN OPTIMIZATION OF NEGATIVE ASPERITIES ON A FACE SEAL WITH REGARD TO LOAD SUPPORT AND LEAKAGE. THE RESULTS WILL BE COMPARED WITH PREVIOUS STUDIES USING POSITIVE ASPERITIES, AND CONCLUSIONS DRAWN THEREFROM. A MODERN LITERATURE SEARCH WILL ALSO BE CONDUCTED IN PHASE I. PHASE II WILL SEEK TO REFINE THE PROCESS OF MICROASPERITY LUBRICATION IN PREPARATION FOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE PROCESS IN PHASE III. IN PHASE II, A VARIETY OF ASPERITY GEOMETRIES WILL BE STUDIED IN AN ATTEMPT TO SEEK THE "BEST" GEOMETRY (OR GEOMETRIES) FOR COMMERCIALIZATION.