Elastohydrodynamic (EHD)-simulation is a widely applied simulation technique that is used in a very diverse field of applications ranging from the study of vibroacoustics to the calculation of friction power losses in lubricated contacts. In particular, but not limited to, the automotive industry, technical advances and new requirements put current EHD simulation methodology under test. Ongoing trends like downsizing, downspeeding, start-stop and the continuing demand for increasing fuel efficiency impose new demands and challenges also on the simulation methodology. Increasing computational capabilities enable new simulation opportunities on the other hand.
In the following, an overview is given on the current state of the art and today’s challenges for the elastohydrodynamic simulation of journal bearings and their wide range of applications from highly loaded main bearings supporting the crank shaft in the ICE to high speed turbocharger bearings.
The topics addressed in this work span a wide range from mixed lubrication, low viscosity lubricants, polymer coatings, microstructured surfaces to the simulation of the thermal behavior and the simulation of hydraulically coupled journal bearings as they are commonly present in internal combustion engines.