Squeeze film characteristics between a sphere and a flat plate: couple stress fluid model

On the basis of the microcontinuum theory, a theoretical analysis of the effects of couple stresses on the squeeze film behavior between a sphere and a flat plate is presented. The modified Reynolds equation governing the squeeze film pressure is derived by using the Stokes constitutive equations to take an account of the couple stress effects due to the lubricant blended with various additives. According to the results obtained, the influence of couple stresses signifies an enhancement in the film pressure. On the whole, the couple stress effects characterized by the couple stress parameter produce an increase in value of the load-carrying capacity and the response time as compared to the classical Newtonian-lubricant case. It improves the squeeze film characteristics of the system.