Squeeze film behaviour between two spheres: An analysis considering Pressure dependent Viscosity and couple stress fluid lubrication

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the collective influence of pressure-dependent viscosity in particular piezo viscous dependency (PDV) and couple stress fluid lubrication in a sphere-to-sphere configuration. Recognizing the limitations of the classical Reynolds equation, which neglects microstructural effects and assumes constant viscosity, this study derives a modified Reynolds equation incorporating both pressure-dependent viscosity and couple stress lubrication. The analysis yields a closed-form expressions for key bearing characteristics, including pressure, load-carrying capacity, and squeeze time. The findings indicate that increasing the values of radius ratio, couple stress, and piezo-viscous parameter leads to an increase in pressure and load-carrying capability, and also results in a longer effective squeezing time.  The escalating demand for high-precision and high-load-carrying capacity in modern machinery necessitates a deeper understanding of these factors to optimize system performance and prevent premature failure.