Aerospace Tribology

A special issue of Lubricants (ISSN 2075-4442).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2024) | Viewed by 3762

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 23009, China
Interests: cryogenic tribology; bearings; mechanical seals; surface texturing; friction

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
Interests: high-temperature tribology; bearings; coatings; fretting wear; surface engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tribological components, mainly including bearings, seals, and blade tenon joints, play a crucial role in determining the reliability and service life of aerospace equipment, which have received broad attention from the engineering and academic communities. Due to the extreme working conditions in aerospace systems, such as high temperature, cryogenic environments, high speed, and heavy loads, it is very challenging to conduct aerospace tribological investigations and develop high-performance components. In recent years, surface texturing, special coatings, new frictional materials, and other advanced tribological techniques have been adopted in this field and achieved significant progresses.

This Special Issue aims to share the advances in tribological behaviors under typical extreme situations, high-performance aerospace tribological components, advanced tribometers for studying aerospace components, and other novel aspects in the field of Aerospace Tribology. It covers typical tribological components in aerospace equipment, materials, coatings, surface engineering, and tribological devices. Both experimental and theoretical investigations are highly welcome.

Dr. Jimin Xu
Dr. Yulei Yang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • aerospace
  • bearings
  • seals
  • blade tenon joints
  • high temperature
  • cryogenic
  • extreme situations
  • coatings
  • surface texturing
  • tribometers

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 7258 KiB  
Article
Tribological Effects of Martian Regoliths on Stainless Steel with Natural and Composite Lip Seal and Packing Materials
by Gábor Kalácska, György Barkó, Tamás Bálint, Róbert Keresztes, László Székely and Zoltán Károly
Lubricants 2025, 13(4), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants13040136 - 22 Mar 2025
Viewed by 180
Abstract
We have investigated the sealing performance of different sealants and the abrasive effect of some Martian regolith simulants (MGS-1 and JEZ-1) by pin-on-disc tests using steel and various pin material pairs. Pin materials, representing sealants, were present in the following two forms: block [...] Read more.
We have investigated the sealing performance of different sealants and the abrasive effect of some Martian regolith simulants (MGS-1 and JEZ-1) by pin-on-disc tests using steel and various pin material pairs. Pin materials, representing sealants, were present in the following two forms: block types, such as pure polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and composite PTFE, as well as braided pins, including pure and hybrid composite PTFE. Friction resistance, wear, surface roughness, and electron microscopy analyses were used to evaluate the tribological properties. We found significant differences between the block-type and braided pin materials regarding the sealing and wear performance. The braided pins either reached stabilized coefficients of friction at a much higher level (0.55) than the block-type pins or did not stabilize at all during the longest test duration. Martian regoliths resulted in negligible wear regarding the disc, but the hybrid composite braided pins were severely worn, causing the abrasion test to be stopped before schedule. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Tribology)
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14 pages, 7845 KiB  
Article
Abrasion Behaviour of Natural and Composite Polytetrafluoroethylene Seal Materials Against Stainless Steel in Lunar Regolith Conditions
by György Barkó, Gábor Kalácska, Tamás Bálint, Ádám Sarankó, Ádám Kalácska, Ewelina Ryszawa, László Székely and Zoltán Károly
Lubricants 2025, 13(2), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants13020043 - 22 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 605
Abstract
In this paper, the abrasive effects of lunar simulant regoliths (LHS-1, LMS-1) have been investigated. Sealing performance of different sealant pin materials on stainless steel has been tested by the pin-on-disc method. Pin materials included block types such as pure polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), composite [...] Read more.
In this paper, the abrasive effects of lunar simulant regoliths (LHS-1, LMS-1) have been investigated. Sealing performance of different sealant pin materials on stainless steel has been tested by the pin-on-disc method. Pin materials included block types such as pure polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), composite PTFE, as well as braided PTFE and hybrid-composite braided PTFE. Tribological properties were evaluated based on measured friction, wear, surface roughness and scanning electron micrographs. Most significant differences were observed in the sealing effect of the pins between the braided and the block-type pin materials. The stainless steel/pin pairs showed significantly higher (0.4–0.5) friction coefficients for the braided pins than the block ones (0.2–0.3), while there was not a significant difference in the abrasive effect of the different lunar regoliths. Although significant wear of the steel part occurred only with the block-type pins, this disadvantage was apparent in comparison with the braided pins. The abrasive particles caused deformation and eventually complete disintegration of the braided pins. Both the coefficient of friction and the wear could be estimated by a multiple linear regression model, in which different regolith size was the dominant independent parameter for the various pins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Tribology)
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19 pages, 7143 KiB  
Article
Theoretical Evaluation of Lubrication Performance of Thrust-Type Foil Bearings in Liquid Nitrogen
by Hang Dou, Tao Jiang, Longgui He, Shuo Cheng, Xiaoliang Fang and Jimin Xu
Lubricants 2024, 12(7), 257; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12070257 - 17 Jul 2024
Viewed by 956
Abstract
The development of reusable liquid rocket turbopumps has gradually highlighted the disadvantages of rolling bearings, particularly the contradiction between long service life and high rotational speed. It is critical to explore a feasible bearing scheme offering a long wear life and high stability [...] Read more.
The development of reusable liquid rocket turbopumps has gradually highlighted the disadvantages of rolling bearings, particularly the contradiction between long service life and high rotational speed. It is critical to explore a feasible bearing scheme offering a long wear life and high stability to replace the existing rolling bearings. In this study, liquid nitrogen is adopted to simulate the ultra-low temperature environment of liquid rocket turbopumps, and theoretical evaluations of the lubrication performance of thrust-type foil bearings in liquid nitrogen are conducted. A link-spring model for the bump foil structure and a thin-plate finite element model for the top foil structure are established. The static and dynamic characteristics of the bearings are analyzed using methods including the finite difference method, the Newton–Raphson iteration method, and the finite element method. Detailed analysis includes the effects of factors such as rotational speed, fluid film thickness, thrust disk tilt angle, and the friction coefficient of the bump foil interface on the static and dynamic characteristics of thrust-type foil bearings. The research results indicate that thrust-type foil bearings have a good load-carrying capacity and low frictional power consumption. The adaptive deformation of the foil structure increases the fluid film thickness, preventing dry friction due to direct contact between the rotor journal and the bearing surface. When faced with thrust disk tilt, the direct translational stiffness and damping coefficient of the bearing do not undergo significant changes, ensuring system stability. Based on the results of this study, the exceptional performance characteristics of thrust-type foil bearings make them a promising alternative to rolling bearings for the development of reusable liquid rocket turbopumps. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Tribology)
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11 pages, 2879 KiB  
Article
Tribological Behavior of Polydiethylsiloxane (PDES) in a Si3N4 and M50 System under Low Temperatures from −80 to 25 °C
by Junhao Han, Yong Tang, Luo Yue, Xianzhen Ma, Hao Jia, Ningxia Liu, Pengpeng Bai, Yonggang Meng and Yu Tian
Lubricants 2024, 12(5), 176; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12050176 - 14 May 2024
Viewed by 1144
Abstract
Lubricants must exhibit good tribological behavior at low temperatures to ensure reliable startups in very cold regions. This study investigates the performance of lubricants, with a specific focus on their capacity for high-temperature lubrication and ensuring reliable low-temperature startup in engines. Experiments were [...] Read more.
Lubricants must exhibit good tribological behavior at low temperatures to ensure reliable startups in very cold regions. This study investigates the performance of lubricants, with a specific focus on their capacity for high-temperature lubrication and ensuring reliable low-temperature startup in engines. Experiments were conducted to assess the friction and wear characteristics of polydiethylsiloxane in conjunction with a Si3N4 ball and M50 (8Cr4Mo4V) steel across a temperature range of −80 °C to 25 °C. The results indicate that the coefficient of friction, as determined through friction and wear tests at various temperatures, remained below 0.1. As temperatures progressively decreased, the system’s friction coefficient increased, and wear volumes recorded at 25 °C and −60 °C were 9749.513 µm³ and 105.006 µm³, respectively, culminating in lubrication failure at −100 °C. This failure is primarily attributed to the increased viscosity and decreased mobility of polydiethylsiloxane at extremely low temperatures. Additionally, the reduced temperature increases the strength of the quenched steel, leading to hard particles or protrusions on the material’s surface, which collide with the Si3N4 ball during friction, causing adhesion and spalling. Despite this, polydiethylsiloxane forms a stable protective oil film on the surface, enhancing the system’s lubrication performance. However, below −80 °C, this oil film begins to tear, leading to diminished lubrication efficacy. This study provides valuable data supporting the field of cryogenic lubrication. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Tribology)
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