Tribology in Bearing Design for High-Speed and Energy-Efficient Mechanical Systems
A special issue of Machines (ISSN 2075-1702). This special issue belongs to the section "Friction and Tribology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 5
Special Issue Editor
Interests: rolling bearings; techniques for film thickness measurement; lubrication
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The performance and energy efficiency of modern mechanical systems are increasingly determined by the reliability and optimization of tribological components, particularly bearings. In high-speed applications—such as electric vehicles, aerospace powertrains, high-speed spindles, and precision robotics—frictional losses, heat generation, and wear present major challenges to performance, durability, and sustainability.
Tribology plays a central role in bearing design, providing the scientific foundation for minimizing energy consumption, improving operational stability, and extending service life. Advances in surface texturing, intelligent lubrication strategies, material engineering, and simulation-based optimization are promoting the generation of novel bearing systems that are capable of operating under extreme speed, load, and thermal conditions.
Recent progress in this area includes:
- High-speed bearing design: elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) modeling, hybrid ceramic bearings, and thermal management strategies;
- Surface engineering and coatings: low-friction, wear-resistant textures and films for demanding environments;
- Water-based and bio-based lubricants: sustainable alternatives for energy-efficient operation;
- Real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance: sensor integration and AI-based tribological diagnostics;
- Additive manufacturing in bearing components: topology-optimized structures and micro-textured surfaces;
- Advanced experimental and computational tribology methods.
This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality original research and comprehensive review articles that contribute to advancements related to the science and engineering of tribology in bearing systems for high-speed and energy-efficient applications. By promoting the dissemination of open access research, we hope to foster interdisciplinary collaboration between tribologists, mechanical designers, and system engineers.
Dr. He Liang
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Machines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- bearing design
- friction and wear
- lubrication strategies
- advanced coatings
- thermal management
- additive manufacturing
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