Research

The research group here have been actively working on both theoretical and experimental aspects of tribological studies. Research areas cover both fundamental as well as application oriented objectives and broadly include: sliding and rolling element bearings; rotor-bearing interactions; fabrication of micro-textured surfaces; lubrication performances of micro-textured surfaces in thrust pad bearing and sealing applications; surface roughness characterization; contact temperature measurement; wear of polymers and their composites; wear of various metals; tribological design of machine components; design and development of hip and knee joint simulators; and development of bio-compatible materials for artificial joint implantation. Present research and technical activities in the laboratory can be referred from the followings:

• Surface Characterization - Surface of any material has completely different properties than its bulk. Interactions between two surfaces are strongly dominated by the conditions, properties, and micro-geometries of the surfaces. The scale of surface interactions is also affected by the micro-geometries of interacting surfaces. In current tribology research trends, surface characterization has become an important stage, and provides …

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• Wear Modeling and Characterization - Undesirable material loss from machine components is in general termed as wear. Generally, wear is parented by the interactive surfaces and with aid from operating variables and environmental conditions; however, in some cases, mere environmental degradation of materials may also occur. A large part of tribology research community has given elegant contributions towards our present …

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• Hydrodynamic Lubrication - There are four essential elements in hydrodynamic lubrication, the first two are obvious, a liquid (hydro-) and relative motion (-dynamic). The other two are the viscous properties of the liquid, and the geometry of the surfaces between which the convergent wedge of fluid is produced. Hydrodynamic lubrication is an excellent method of lubrication since it …

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• Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication - Most of the machine elements allow relative motion between its mating components while supporting the external load. In practice lubricant is fed into the contact zone of the mating components to reduce the friction. Due the convergent lubricant film in the contact zone, pressure develops and supports the load, which is known as hydrodynamic lubrication. …

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• Dynamics of Rotor-Bearing Systems - In many industries the demand for high power and high speed together with uninterrupted and reliable operation is increasingly important. The accurate prediction and control of dynamic behaviour (unbalance response, critical speeds and instability) is another vital requirement. The bearings clearly constitute a vital component in any turbomachine. The dynamic behaviour of rotary machinery can …

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