Stochastic multiscale analysis in hydrodynamic lubrication

A stochastic multiscale analysis framework is developed for hydrodynamic lubrication problems with random surface roughness. The approach is based on a multi-resolution computational strategy wherein the deterministic solution of the multiscale problem for each random surface realization is achieved through a coarse-scale analysis with a local upscaling that is achieved through homogenization theory. The stochastic nature of this solution because of the underlying randomness is then characterized through local and global quantities of interest, accompanied by a detailed discussion regarding suitable choices of the numerical parameters in order to achieve a desired stochastic predictive capability while ensuring numerical efficiency. Finally, models of the stochastic interface response are constructed, and their performance is demonstrated for representative problem settings. Overall, the developed approach offers a computational framework, which can essentially predict the significant influence of interface heterogeneity in the absence of a strict scale separation. Copyright (C) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.