On the effect of viscosity wedge in micro-textured parallel surfaces

A computational model for predicting the performance of micro-textured parallel surfaces with provision for viscosity wedge effect is developed. The model is based on the simultaneous solutions to the Stokes equation and the energy equation in the fluid film. The governing equations are solved using the finite element method combined with the Streamline Upwind Petrov Galerkin method (SUPG) and Uzawa solution algorithm. Results are presented to gain insight into the role of viscosity wedge on the pressure distribution and the load-carrying capacity (LCC) of the textured surfaces. The influence of the Reynolds number and the texture size on the LCC are also investigated and discussed.