Influence of Roller-End Axial Profiling Type on Lubrication Performance in Thermal Elastohydrodynamic Finite Line Contacts

This study presents a finite-element-based numerical investigation of the influence of roller-end axial profiling type on the lubrication performance of thermal elastohydrodynamic finite line contacts. Performance is evaluated with respect to the reference case of straight rollers. The two most commonly used profiling types (i.e., dub-off and logarithmic) are compared under similar profiling length and height. It is found that a logarithmic profile outperforms a dub-off one by all accounts (i.e., frictional dissipation, lubricant film thickness, pressure buildup, and temperature rise), unless an extremely steep logarithmic shape is adopted. In the latter case, lubricant film thickness and pressure buildup may end up being negatively affected.