Tribology
About
Tribology is a multidisciplinary science combining knowledge from solid mechanics, physics of solids and liquids and chemistry to provide solutions to practical applications in areas ranging from engineering to medicine and from space to nano-scale devices. Tribology as a science will continuously develop, deepen and expand its areas of research in order to address the demands of the advances in material science, manufacturing, technology and the needs for better products, improved human life, contribute to energy savings and a cleaner environment. At Sussex we try to solve fundamental and applied problems in the fields of Lubrication, Dynamics of lubricated contacts, Grease lubrication, Mechanical transmissions (including CVTs), Experimental techniques in tribology, Contact Mechanics, Numerical simulation of lubricated contacts.
We have had and have collaborations or common research projects with industry and Universities such as SKF, Kyodo Yushi Japan, Inawa France, Imperial College London, Kyushu UniversityJapan, Wroclaw University of Technology Poland, “Politehnica” University Bucharest Romania.
Contact details: For enquiries regarding research or consultancy projects please contact Dr R. Glovnea
Research Projects
Past research projects the members of the Tribology Laboratory have been involved in:
“Lubricant behaviour in non-steady state EHD contacts”
“Behaviour of lubricants at asperities in mixed lubrication”
“Thermal approach to studying and modelling mixed lubrication”
“Simultaneous measurement of traction and film thickness in high pressure lubricated contacts”
“A novel lubrication technique for MEMS”
“Elastohydrodynamic effects in grease lubricated contacts” (DPhil awarded)
“Study of film thickness in EHD contacts using a novel technique based on electrical capacitance” (PhD awarded at BrunelUniversity)
“Modelling and design of a novel CVT” (PhD awarded at BrunelUniversity)
Current research projects
“The effect of lateral oscillations upon film thickness in EHD contacts”
“Lubrication behaviour of vibrating machine components” (PhD awarded)
“Study of rolling element bearings lubrication using a capacitive method”
“Elastohydrodynamic effects in grease lubricated contacts”
“Study of the behaviour of slip/non-slip boundaries ”
Research facilities
- PCS Instruments Optical interferometry test rig of EHD film measurement. This has the ability to measure film thickness of down to two nanometres and friction forces, in concentrated contacts with pressures up to 2GPa. The rig can be adapted for measurements of soft contacts.
- Optical interferometry rig for dynamic testing of liquid films. Besides the optical system, this rig contains a high speed camera which can take images up to 100,000 frames per second, accelerometers and piezo-actuators.
- Mini traction machine (MTM) from PCS Instruments. Versatile state of the art rig for testing of friction in rubbing systems.
- Solartron A1260 Impedance/gain-phase analyser. Suitable for corrosion studies, fuel cells, solar cells, LCDs, bio-materials, composites, rheology studies. The system includes interface with PC and analysis software.
- High-pressure viscometer (prototype) – in the phase of testing; pressure range – up to 1.4GPa
- Anton-Paar viscometer SV3000. Rotational viscometer with a range of 0.0002 to 20 Pa·s.
The laboratory is equipped with optical tables, which enable vibration insulation and various lasers for studies using monochromatic light.
People
Dr Romeo Glovnea
Dr Glovnea is a reader in Mechanical engineering in the School of Engineering and Design and Head of the Tribology Laboratory. Before joining the University of Sussex he was a senior lecturer in solid body mechanics and design at Brunel University London. He carried out a PhD in Romania, and until 1997 was a Reader in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Suceava, Romania. He joined Professor Spikes’s Tribology Group, at Imperial College London in 1997 and worked as a Research Fellow until 2005, when he moved to BrunelUniversity. Dr Glovnea’s main research interest has been tribology working and publishing in the fields of lubrication (with emphasis on transient phenomena), contact mechanics and mechanical transmissions.
Miss Karolina Jablonka
Karolina has a MSC in Chemistry and one in Chemical Technology from the Wrocław University of Technology, Poland. She is now undertaking a doctoral research programme with a topic in the field of the lubrication of rolling elements bearings, sponsored by SKF.
Mr Konstantinos Kalogiannis
Konstantinos is a doctoral research student. He graduated with a Bachelor degree in Mechanical engineering form BrunelUniversity, in 2005 and a Master degree in Automotive and Motorsport Engineering a year later. His research project is on the vibration behaviour of lubricated contacts and is sponsored by both EPSRC and SKF..
Mr Yuichiro Nagata
Yuichiro is a doctoral research student. He graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tokyo University of Science, before completing a Master degree in Automotive and Motorsport Engineering in 2007. His research project is on grease lubrication.