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Evolution Mechanisms of Flow and Transient Temperature Fields in Wet Friction Pair with Bionic Hexagonal
Donghui Chen1,2,3, Yulin Xiao1,2,3, Shiqi Hao1,2,3
1Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China.
Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 27, 2026
Summary
Bionic hexagonal micro-textures on wet clutch steel plates improve performance by enhancing fluid flow and heat transfer. This reduces operating temperatures and friction, boosting clutch reliability.
Area of Science:
- Tribology
- Fluid Dynamics
- Heat Transfer
- Bionics
Background:
- Wet clutch friction pairs face challenges like surface damage and reduced reliability due to complex operating conditions.
- Surface texturing is a known method to enhance tribological performance in mechanical interfaces.
- Tree frog foot pads exhibit unique wet adhesion properties, inspiring novel surface designs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the tribo-thermo-hydrodynamic effects of bionic hexagonal micro-textures on wet clutch performance.
- To develop and validate a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for analyzing textured surfaces under wet clutch conditions.
- To assess the impact of micro-texture parameters on interfacial flow and temperature fields.
Main Methods:
- Design of a bionic regular hexagonal micro-texture inspired by tree frog foot pads.
- Development and validation of a 3D transient CFD numerical methodology using pin-on-disc friction experiments.
- Extrapolation of the validated CFD model to disc-on-disc simulations for comprehensive analysis.
Main Results:
- The hexagonal micro-texture increased local maximum flow velocity by 7.9% compared to untextured surfaces.
- Micro-textured grooves enhanced convective heat transfer and fluid exchange, reducing maximum average bulk temperature by 20.5% and maximum radial temperature by 20.7%.
- Deeper grooves induced vortices, accelerating flow and decreasing the radial temperature gradient, optimizing thermal management.
Conclusions:
- Bionic hexagonal micro-textures significantly enhance the thermo-hydrodynamic performance of wet clutch friction pairs.
- The study provides a validated CFD framework for designing and optimizing surface textures in tribological applications.
- Micro-texture design offers a promising approach for improving the efficiency and durability of wet clutches.
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