Benjamin Wainwright completed his studies in mechanical engineering at Imperial college London in 2017. During his undergraduate studies he was heavily involved in the maintenance of the 1902 Car mascot of the City and Guilds. This along with a keen interest in the fundamentals of engineering inspired Ben to take on a PhD in the Imperial College Tribology Group focusing on surface fatigue of gear and bearing applications. Ben was awarded his PhD in 2022 and shortly after continued his career within the R&D department of PCS Instruments. Here, together with his fellow R&D engineers, he has contributed to the development and release of a system to allow research of electrified contacts as well as high speed twin disc machine focusing on high speed EHL.

Abstract:
Electrified Tribology Testing: Challenges, Insights and Applications

The presence of electric potentials across lubricated contacts in machine elements such as gears and bearings is not a new phenomenon. However, the increased adoption of electric vehicles has brought more prominence to the issue of parasitic and stray electric currents within drive transmissions and their effect on the tribological properties within such contacts. Of particular importance is the effect of these potentials on friction and surface damage which may have a significant effect on the efficiency and lifetime of the transmission.

The use of tribometers is paramount for understanding the fundamentals around this phenomenon. In the study of applied potentials across contacts, the experimentalist must now juggle a whole host of additional test parameters. Tests are conducted on modified tribometers including ball-on-disc, high-speed twin-disc and triple-contact fatigue types. These instruments electrically isolate the contacting specimens allowing potentials to form. High-rate sampling of the voltage across, and current through the contacts using an integrated oscilloscope allow electrical discharges between the specimens to be observed providing a more detailed picture.

This talk aims to address the challenges involved in testing of electrified contacts across a range of instruments. In addition, the talk will seek to provide insight into tribological testing of this phenomenon generated through experience developing instruments for this application with a focus on applying results to real world applications.