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Grease flow in an elbow channel

Tribology Letters volume 57, Article number: 30 (2015) Cite this article

Abstract

The flow of lubricating greases in an elbow channel has been modeled and validated with velocity profiles from flow visualizations using micro-particle image velocimetry. The elbow geometry induces a nonsymmetric distribution of shear stress throughout its cross section, as well as varying shear rates through the transition from the elbow inlet to the outlet. The flow has been modeled both for higher flow rates and for creep flow. The influence of the grease rheology and flow conditions to wall slip, shear banding and an observed stick–slip type of motion observed for low flow rates are presented. The effect on the flow of the applied pressure is also modeled showing that the flow is sensitive to the pressure in the angular (\(\phi \)) direction of the elbow. For high pressures, it is shown that the flow is reversed adjacent to the elbow walls.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Torbjörn Green and Dr. Henrik Lycksam at the Division of Fluid and Experimental Mechanics, LTU for their help with the \(\mu \)PIV measurements. This project has been funded by the Swedish Research Council (VR) and by KIC InnoEnergy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Fluid and Experimental Mechanics, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden

    Lars G. Westerberg

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, UPC - Technical University of Catalonia, Colom 7-11, 08222, Terrassa, BCN, Spain

    Josep Farré-Lladós & Jasmina Casals-Terré

  3. Division of Machine Elements, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden

    Jinxia Li & Erik Höglund

Authors
  1. Lars G. Westerberg
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  2. Josep Farré-Lladós
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  3. Jinxia Li
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  4. Erik Höglund
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  5. Jasmina Casals-Terré
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Correspondence to Lars G. Westerberg.

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Westerberg, L.G., Farré-Lladós, J., Li, J. et al. Grease flow in an elbow channel. Tribol Lett 57, 30 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-015-0469-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-015-0469-6

Keywords

  • Grease flow
  • Wall slip
  • Shear banding
  • Stick–slip flow
  • Flow separation