No. 4, 1998 - Tribology in Industry

UDK 621:192.6.N4
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M, BABIC
Tribology and Energy
Funttamenlcl problem that hurnanity is facing with comes from opposite requirements that are enforced
simultaneously, for providitry stfficient amowt af energ for the growittg needs, for preservittg the non-restorable
energt resources cnd for decreasing ecological loads of the etwironment.
Urgent need to rninirnize this problem is apparent itt yiew of the powerful cleveloprnett of the new, so called
environrmental technologies, like enetgt savings, clean enerry, renewable enetry) resources, weste menagement,
recyclirry, artd environmeril monitoing. Coruideitry the scenaios for the 21st century about the exponential
growth of the enetgt cotuumptiot4 it is clear that the most important place belongs to enet&l savings. Havbtg
in mind the dissipative nature of the tw'o basic tribological phenomena - fiction and wear, tribologt today, as
the multidisciplinary concept, is accepted as ane of the most important chances for contibutiort, to general
efforts for borh direct and indirect savings of enetgl
l.INTRODUCTION
Fundamental probiem that humarrity is facing with comes
from opposite requirements that are enforced simultaneously,
for providing sufficient amount of energy for
the growing needs, for preserving the non-restorable
euerg/ resources and for decreasing ecological loads of
the envrronment. The degree of systematic dealing with
this problem is directly related to the degree of the
country's development.
In developed countries efforts for decreasing this problem
result in development of the new, so called environmental
technologies, like the energy savings, clean enerry,
renewabie energy resources, waste management,
rerycling, and environment monitoring [1]. Considering
the scenarios for the 21st century about the exponential
growth of the energy consumption and further dominant
part of fossil energy resources, it is clear that the most
important place belongs to energy savings. Having in
mind the dissipative nature of the two basic tribological
phenomena - friction and wear, tribologSr ioday, as the
multidisciplinary concept, is accepted as one of the most
important chances for contribution to general effo(s for
both direct and indirect savings of energSr and ecological
proteciion of the environment.
In many countries (Engiand, Germany, USA, Japan,
Canada, China) large funds were and are invested today
into research that have as a goal to identify areas of
largest "tribological sinks" and to economically express
Prof. dr kliroslav Babit, dipL ing.
Faculty of Mechanical Engilrceing, Kragtlevac
losses and potential savings, as well as to define main
directions of research, development and education in
order to realize estimated savings [2-8]. lbking into account
the world experiences in this area, it can be expected
that paying the adequate attention to tribology will
result in savings (of energetic character) of up to 27o of
the gross nationai product. Up to 207o of these effects
can be achieved without significant investments,
A topic like energry savings through tribology, assumes a
broader approach to tribology as a science and technology.
That approach should highlight direct easier to
spot, but also indirecthidden, relations between the contact
phenomena during the relative motion, that are of
the dissipative nature, and their effects on different macro
levels of expressing. Just the existence of such relations
represents the basic power of the exponential development
of tribology in the last thirty years.
In this paper is given the global approach to problem of
enerry savings through tribologry. It enhances relations
between micro-dissipative contact phenomena of friction
and wear, and negative effects that are expressed as
direct or indirect ener6y losses, as well as the estimate of
basic tribological sinks and possible energy savings
through tribology.
2. DISSIPATIVE NATURE OF FRICTION
AND WEAR
Friction and wear represent fundamental processes during
the relative motion of solids, liquids and gasses, that
are of stochastic nature, and that are manifested by
dissipative, nonlinear dynamic effects in the contact zones.
1,4E
Tibologt in indwtry, Volume 20, No. 4,1998.