Wear and Seizure Root Cause Analysis
Root cause investigation of wear and seizure issues.
Solutions
Friction and Tribology Simulation
GT-SUITE assesses the impact of operating conditions and design parameters on friction and seeks low friction designs
Solution Overview
Predictive Models of Friction Losses in Engines and Other Systems
This functionality uses the validated fundamental tribological elements of GT-SUITE, including oil film hydrodynamics and EHD contact models, a statistical asperity contact model, and also on the ability to take temperature, pressure and shear rate dependence of lubricant viscosity, as well as geometrical details, into account.
Application of these elements enable GT-SUITE to model, at each friction interface, the share of load carried hydrodynamically vs. by contact, which is essential to accurate prediction of friction.
In addition to friction, models predict secondary motions (orbits, film thicknesses), oil flow, wear load, contact deformations, Hertz stress and temperature rise. Tribological elements are used directly, inside GT-SUITE MBD models of moving parts of engines, pumps etc. which provide the speeds and load at friction interfaces.
Application Highlights
Bearing & Lubrication Modeling
- Journal bearing oil film models: Mobility or HD with cavitation, 2-D or 3-D
- Journal bearings: orbit, MOFT, flow, friction, oil temperature rise, wear load
- Contact EHD modeling (valvetrains, chains, gears, etc.)
- Piston skirt and guide oil film hydrodynamics, secondary motions
- Piston ring oil films, friction, effects of oil starvation, bore distortion
- Thrust bearings in crankshafts and turbochargers, high-speed inertia effects
- Turbocharger “double-bush” bearings
- Roller bearing EHD contacts and friction
- Detailed reporting of engine friction components
Advanced Features
Integrated Tribology and MBD Simulation Tools
GT-SUITE supports advanced wear analysis, root cause diagnostics, surface texturing, and fully integrated MBD and lubrication modeling.
Integrated Lubrication System Modeling
Fully integrated with lubrication system models.
MBD Integration Across Engine Systems
Fully integrated with MBD models of cranktrains, valvetrains, others.
Fast Simulation for Multi-Variable DoE
Fast simulation times suitable for multi-variable DoEs.
Surface Micro-Texture Analysis
Evaluate 1D and 2D surface micro-texturing effects on friction and film thickness.
Wear Progression Simulation
New in v2026, model the progression of wear over defined duty cycles, with evolving surface roughness captured iteratively.
Friction and Tribology FAQs
Answers to common questions about friction and tribology modeling with GT-SUITE.
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How does GT-SUITE predict friction across different engine interfaces?
GT-SUITE models each friction interface individually using validated tribological elements that capture the balance between hydrodynamic load carrying and asperity contact. Journal bearings, piston rings, piston skirts, valvetrain contacts, and turbocharger bearings are all handled within a single simulation environment, with no simplified global friction maps required.
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What outputs can I expect beyond just a friction number?
At each interface, GT-SUITE reports minimum oil film thickness, orbit predictions, wear load, oil temperature rise, contact deformations, Hertz stress, and secondary motions. At the engine level, full component-by-component friction reporting makes it straightforward to identify where losses are concentrated and prioritize design changes.
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Can GT-SUITE connect friction models to the rest of my engine simulation?
Yes. Tribological models run directly inside GT-SUITE’s MBD models of cranktrains, valvetrains, and timing drives, and are fully coupled with lubrication system models. Oil supply pressure, temperature, and flow conditions feed directly into friction calculations, giving you a physically consistent system rather than isolated component results.
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Is the friction modeling practical for design studies, or is it too slow?
Simulation times are optimized for multi-variable design of experiments. Engineers routinely sweep bearing geometries, surface finishes, oil grades, and operating conditions across large parametric studies. The 2026 release also introduced a dedicated Wear Simulation wizard that automates wear progression analysis over duty cycles, reducing manual effort in iterative studies considerably.
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