Optimal film shape for two-dimensional slider bearings lubricated with couple stress fluids

The shape of a slider bearing is one of the major geometric conditions influencing the performance of the bearing. The aim of this study is to design the optimum shapes of the surfaces of sliders to meet the load and center of pressure demands specified by the designers. The design strategy uses COMSOL Multiphysics software package to solve the modified Reynolds equation derived on the basis of stokes microcontinuum theory. The sequential quadratic programming (SQP) is used to optimize the shape of the slider bearing. Results show that designers seeking to effectively reduce friction should consider a reducing the aspect ratio since it is the most significant parameter affecting optimal friction. In addition, slider bearings should be optimized with a polynomial profile of order 6 to reduce the computational effort and yield a solution that is very close to the solution of higher order polynomials.

Research Highlights
► A mathematical model to obtain the optimal film shape of slider bearing lubricated with couple stress fluid is introduced.
► Reynolds equation is solved using COMSOL (Multiphysics Software Package), and optimum film shape is obtained using sequential quadratic programming (SQP).
► Optimal film shapes are obtained and presented for minimum friction to meet the load and center of pressure demands.