An extension of the Grubin theory of elastohydrodynamic lubrication

The lubrication of heavily loaded rollers is known to depend on the great increase of viscosity of mineral oils under pressure, and on the elastic deformation of the rollers. Grubin's theory gives a simple analytical description of the process, but cannot predict the exit constriction or the pressure spike found in numerical solutions. By starting from the elastic pressure distribution for an off-centre flat instead of from the hertzian pressures (which allows the Reynolds equation to be satisfied in the exit region as well as in the entry), all the features of the numerical solutions are found.