KEYWORDS

Lubrication, Reynolds Equation, Finite Volume Method

A GENERAL FINITE VOLUME METHOD SOLUTION FOR THE REYNOLDS LUBRICATION EQUATION WITH MASS-CONSERVING CAVITATION

The present contribution is aimed to propose a general finite volume method (FVM) solution for the Reynolds equation with massconserving cavitation model, which can be particularly applied to problems characterized by complex geometries. The solution is based on a hybrid-type Element-Based Finite Volume Method (EbFVM), which combines the features of the FEM to tackle irregular grids while preserving the entire fluid-flow conservation aspect of the FVM. The motivation for the use of the EbFVM in lubrication applications is based on its flexibility, generality and suitability for computational implementations.

AUTHORS

Francisco J. Profitoa, Daniele Dinib, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, UK and Demetrio C. Zachariadisa, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil