Tribology for Future Mobility

Learning Outcomes

Tribological considerations will be key performance factors in future mobility (both hybrid and completely electric vehicles). In hybrid vehicles, tribology plays an important role in the efficiency, emissions and durability of such vehicles, but in pure electric vehicles the concerns over emissions will diminish and nearly all remaining efficiency and durability issues will be associated with the remaining moving parts and, hence, their tribology. Classic and future areas for tribological engineering will be explored by students. Tribology design principles for e-mobility will be supported and accompanied by advanced case studies using solid/solid and solid/fluid interactions, as well as linking surface and material compatibilities. In turn, this will develop understanding of how surface roughness and surface modifications affect the tribological response of modern engineered components in various industrial and biomedical applications. Topics to be covered will include: Contact mechanics; Smooth and rough surfaces in contact; Modes of lubrication for bearings and joints; Tribological systems and components - future engineering implications for electric vehicles and mobility; Wear mechanisms of dry and lubricated contacts; Materials selection and tribological design; Modelling approaches for tribological systems.

36 lectures (three 45 minute sessions per week) which develop the themes described in this module. Skeleton notes are given out at the start of the course, which means you only have to note down the key points during the lecture, but still have a full set of notes to work from; these will also be made available on Blackboard. Introduction – provide an future mobility and biotribology context, future engineering implications and impact (electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy systems) – outline/link to performance factors between internal combustion engines (ICE) and hybrids/EVs; Contact mechanics - smooth/rough surfaces in contact under static and in motion, solid friction – wear damage (assessment and quantification within the new electric paradigm); Modes of lubrication – fluid viscosities and viscous torque – fluids for EVs, plus consideration of future mobility design and optimisation for lubricated systems; Hydrodynamic lubrication, hydrostatic lubrication, elastohydrodynamic lubrication, mixed and boundary lubrication, identify practical applications for plain bearings, rolling element bearings, gears – bearings for EVs and power transmission within renewable energy systems – design rationales, etc.; Modelling lubricated joints/bearings – to apply simplified numerical methods to solve tribology problems, and understand how to interpret/verify the results; Tribological components (gears, bearings) geometries, design and parameters calculation for electric vehicles.