Evaluation of an In-Situ Liquid Lubrication System for Space Mechanisms Using a Vacuum Spiral Orbit Tribometer

Many moving mechanical assemblies (MMAs) for space applications rely on a small, initial charge of lubricant for the entire mission lifetime, often in excess of five years. In many cases, the premature failure of a lubricated component can result in mission failure. If lubricant could be re-supplied...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inTribology letters Vol. 14; no. 2; pp. 61 - 67
Main Authors Jansen, Mark J, Jones, William R, Pepper, Stephen V
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Dordrecht Springer Nature B.V 01.02.2003
Subjects
Coefficient of friction
Lubricants
Lubricants & lubrication
Lubrication systems
Product design
Space applications
Tribology
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Summary:Many moving mechanical assemblies (MMAs) for space applications rely on a small, initial charge of lubricant for the entire mission lifetime, often in excess of five years. In many cases, the premature failure of a lubricated component can result in mission failure. If lubricant could be re-supplied to the contact in-situ, the life of the MMA could be extended. A vacuum spiral orbit tribometer (SOT) was modified to accept a device to supply re-lubrication during testing. It was successfully demonstrated that a liquid lubricant (Pennzane®/Nye 2001A) could be evaporated into a contact during operation, lowering the friction coefficient and therefore extending the life of the system.
ISSN:1023-8883
1573-2711
DOI:10.1023/A:1021791817718