School of Mechanical Engineering 

RESEARCH  IN  TRIBOLOGY

Tribology has been an area of research in the School of Mechanical Engineering for over a century. The current tribological activities at Leeds are carried out within the framework of an Institute of Tribology established in 1967. Such work incorporates teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, research, consultancy and continuing professional education and symposia programmes. 

The Institute of Tribology is responsible for the Leeds partnership in the Leeds-Lyon Symposium on Tribology.

The tribological research is extremely broad, covering basic, strategic and applied threads with both analytical and experimental contributions. Support is obtained from the national Research Councils and a wide range of industrial concerns in the United Kingdom, Europe, Far East Asia and North America. Research Engineers and research students from around the world work within the Institute of Tribology and strong co-operative links are maintained with international research groups.

Academic Staff

Group leaders:

Professor Martin Priest, Jost Professor of Engineering Tribology

Professor A Neville, Professor of Tribology and Surface Engineering

Active contributors:

Professor Tom HC Childs, Professor of Manufacturing Engineering

Dr Peter A Dearnley, Senior Lecturer

Emeritus Professor Duncan Dowson CBE

Dr Martin C Levesley, Lecturer

Dr Jon L Summers, Lecturer


Current Projects

Engine Tribology (Priest, Neville)

1. Piston rings and piston assemblies
A range of projects involving analysis, design, laboratory experimentation and firing engine studies. Specific areas of interest include piston ring lubrication, wear and dynamics, piston skirt lubrication,  piston assembly friction, hydrocarbon emissions, lubricant thermal degradation effects and lubricant-fuel synergy in the piston assembly.

2. Cams and followers
A variety of projects dealing with the tribology of modern automobile valve trains currently concentrating upon improved design of both the valve train and the lubricant.

3. Engine bearings
Research addressing some increasingly important refinements in engine bearing design, including the influence of non-Newtonian behaviour of the lubricant and oil groove/hole and oil film history effects.

4. Engine friction 
Substantive industrial support has led to the development of an advanced model for the prediction of total engine friction. Current efforts are directed towards validation of the model and improved sensitivity to lubricant rheology and tribochemistry.

5. Interactions between Piston Ring Pack Lubrication, Transport Processes and Lubricant Degradation in Engines
A combined tribological and chemical appraoch to understand the bulk degradation of engine oils due to thier residence in and passage through the piston assembly.

6. Lubricant Additive Interactions, Surface Reactions & the Link to Tribological Performance in Engines
A combined tribological and tribochemical approach to understand the nature and tribological performance of tribofilms formed in the valve train and piston assembly, with particular refernce to anti-wear capability and friction modification..

7. Fuel and Lubricant Synergism for Piston Assembly Tribology
Investigation of the effects of fuel and lubricant interaction in the upper cylinder on top piston ring tribology.


Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication  (Dowson, Summers, Priest)

The School has been a world leader in this field for over thirty years. The research continues to have both fundamental and applied themes and is supported by research council monies and industry around the world. The areas currently receiving research attention are,

1. Thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication

2. Non-newtonian lubricant effects coupled with roughness influence


Surface Engineering (Neville, Dearnley)

1. Friction and wear of coated disc brake rotors

2. Corrosive-wear mechanisms of hard coated austenitic stainless steels

3. The effect of surface finish and composition on the friction-release properties of acetal polymers

4. Wear mechanisms of CVD and PVD coated cutting tools used for machining stainless steels

5. High temperature wear response of surface modified nickel base alloys

6. Wear mechanisms of surface treated piston ring materials


Tribology in Manufacturing Processes  (Childs)

The strong teaching and research activities in the School in the area of Manufacturing Engineering link closely to tribological studies over a range of projects.

1. Metal machining mechanics, friction and tool wear

2. Grinding and polishing of ceramics

3. Lubricant rheology in metal drawing and rolling


Generally tribological studies (Priest, Levesley)

1. Refigerator compressor tribology with 2 phase bubbly refrigerant-oil mixtures

2. Squeeze film dampers with 2 phase bubbly oil