In hydrodynamic lubrication of conformal contacts, lubricant film measurements are mostly concerned with journal bearings [1]. Using non-conformal line or point contacts at low loads and high speeds, hydrodynamic lubrication can also be achieved and film thickness have been measured. On the other hand, large amounts of theoretical work about hydrodynamic lubrication have been carried out based on a plane slider bearing model. Furthermore, theoretical propositions have recently been suggested to clarify some new concepts in fluid film lubrication, for example the surface texturing and the wall slippage effect [2, 3]. Unlike a tilting-pad bearing, the inclination of the modeled slider is an independent variable, and does change with different loads and speeds. In fact, laboratory data about film thickness of a plane slider model are very limited, and theoretical results cannot be validated in time. Therefore, effort is still needed to develop new film measurement techniques in conformal contact.
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