Research Projects

The project aims to improve lubrication efficiency in loaded tribological contacts by using textured surfaces to prevent starvation. The main objectives include understanding the flow of lubricants within and around the contact zone of the machinery, using surface texturing to ensure lubrication flow into the starvation region without compromising load carrying capacity and wear, and conducting experimental investigations using advanced in-situ measurements. The project will also assimilate knowledge from designed experiments and theoretical analysis to suggest engineering guidelines for optimizing surface texturing design to maximize lubricant availability and reduce lubricant usage. The project focuses on the continuum scale and comprises three major parts: design and fabrication of textured surfaces using lasers, design of experiments and measurements, and mathematical modelling and theoretical predictions. The project aims to develop a continuum model describing the process of lubrication guidance in tribo-contacts, validated by careful measurements based on novel sensing techniques.