Method and apparatus for determining thickness of a lubricant film
AssigneesThe University of Sheffield, The University of Bristol
InventorsRobert Sean Dwyer-Joyce, Cornelius Joseph Donohoe, Bruce Walton Drinkwater
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Abstract
A method and apparatus of determining the thickness of a lubricant film disposed between two bodies by measuring and performing a frequency spectrum analysis on a reflected or transmitted part of an ultrasound wave propagated towards said film is disclosed.
Claims16
A method of determining the thickness of a film disposed between two bodies in a two body interface assembly, the method comprising propagating an ultrasound wave towards the film;
- measuring a reflection coefficient from a reflection of said ultrasound wave at an interface including said film, said reflection coefficient being indicative of a proportion of the ultrasound wave which is reflected at said interface;
- and determining the thickness by quantifying the stiffness of the film from said reflection coefficient in conjunction with at least one of the group consisting of:
- a spring model of said assembly and continuum model of said assembly.
The method as claimed in 1 further including the step of determining film thickness from a region where the reflection coefficient is linearly proportional to frequency.
An apparatus for determining the thickness of a lubricant film comprising:
- means for generating an ultrasound wave and propagating same towards a film whose thickness it is desired to determine;
- a detector for detecting a reflection coefficient from a reflected part of said ultrasound wave which has been reflected at an interface including said film, said reflection coefficient being indicative of a proportion of the ultrasound wave which is reflected at said interface;
- and
- a processor for determining the thickness of the film by quantifying the stiffness of the film from said reflection coefficient in conjunction with at least one of the group consisting of:
- a spring model and continuum model.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.