Tag: thin-film lubrication

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    Hydrodynamic Bearings

    If you twirl a glass syringe, it spins quite nicely, lubricated on a micron-thin layer of air. This is an example of a hydrodynamic bearing, a device where the viscosity of a fluid and relative motion of two closely-spaced surfaces provides the cushion necessary to keep the surfaces separate. In this video, Steve Mould explains the phenomenon in more detail and shares some awesome examples of this hydrodynamic levitation in action. (Image and video credit: S. Mould; submitted by clogwog)

  • Impinging Without Coalescing

    Impinging Without Coalescing

    Three impinging jets of silicone oil rebound without coalescence due to thin-film lubrication between the jets. The motion of the oil replenishes the thin layer of air separating the streams. The same phenomenon keeps droplets from coalescing as well. (Photo credit: BIF Lab, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Tech) #