Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical

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About the validity of Reynolds equation and inertia effects in textured sliders of infinite width
M B Dobrica and M Fillon
Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part J: Journal of Engineering Tribology 2009 223: 69
DOI: 10.1243/13506501JET433

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 69

About the validity of Reynolds equation and inertia

effects in textured sliders of infinite width
M B Dobrica∗ and M Fillon
Laboratory of Solid Mechanics, University of Poitiers, Futuroscope Chasseneuil Cedex, France

The manuscript was received on 31 March 2008 and was accepted after revision for publication on 29 July 2008.
DOI: 10.1243/13506501JET433

Abstract: Numerous recent studies focus on modelling the lubricant flow in macro-textured
configurations, using the Navier–Stokes, Stokes, and Reynolds equations. Several of these studies
show that important, lift generating inertia effects are present in textured configurations, and
conclude that Reynolds assumptions do not hold true for such contacts. A similar analysis is
performed in this paper, for parallel sliders of infinite width, but with quite different conclusions.
Two main observations are made based on the results presented herein: (a) inertia effects cannot
be analysed by single texture cell models – for example, in the case of partial inlet texturing, inertia
shows a clear negative influence, contradicting the previously reported lift generating effects; (b)
the validity of Reynolds equation in textured sliders cannot be decided by the Reynolds number
(Re) alone, and the texture aspect ratio (λ) has an equally important influence on Reynolds
equation validity. Finally, charts presenting the relative difference between Reynolds and Navier–
Stokes solutions in terms of λ and Re are discussed.

Keywords: hydrodynamic lubrication, surface texture, numerical analysis

1 INTRODUCTION by the cavitation phenomena [9]. Accordingly, posi-

Texturing one of the surfaces of a lubricated contact
has been shown to have beneficial effects experimen-
tally, leading to increased hydrodynamic lift and lower
friction coefficients [1]. Such effects were revealed
in mechanical seals [2, 3], parallel sliders [4], and
reciprocating (cylinder-liner) contacts [5, 6]. Since
the positive texture effects were experimentally ver-
ified [1–6], the interest in numerical models able to
predict and explain these effects has increased rapidly.
In general, there are two possible modelling app-
roaches. On the one hand, there are models based on
Reynolds equation [2, 6–10]. These models are gen-
erally applied to entire bearings or seals having the
stationary surface either fully or partially textured.
Since, in the case of fully textured parallel bearings,
the Reynolds equation yields a periodic pressure field
with zero mean [8], the hydrodynamic lift is explained
∗ Corresponding author: Laboratory of Solid Mechanics, Univer-
sity of Poitiers, SP2MI, Boulevard Marie et Pierre Curie, Téléport 2,
BP 30179, Futuroscope Chasseneuil Cedex, 86962, France. email:
dobrica@lms.univ-poitiers.fr
tive pressures develop in the lubricated areas, while
in the cavitated regions the pressure is zero. There-
fore, an overall positive resultant pressure is obtained.
The influence of the cavitation model and boundary
conditions is studied in detail in reference [9]. When
the same Reynolds equation is used for modelling par-
tially textured parallel or plane-inclined sliders (inlet
texture), cavitation is less of an issue since positive
pressures can develop over the entire domain. The
positive pressure field is explained by a step-like effect
induced by the textured portion of the slider [7, 10].
On the other hand, there are the models based on
the Navier–Stokes system of equations [11–14]. These
models have been mainly applied for single texture
cell configurations (called ‘macro-roughness’), using
periodic boundary conditions. The overall conclusions
that can be drawn from these studies are that the
Reynolds equation is not valid for modelling textured
contacts, and that inertia-related effects explain, fully
or partially, the hydrodynamic lift observed experi-
mentally in parallel textured sliders. The first study to
mention ‘a net pressure gain’ as ‘a pure inertia effect’
was presented in 2003 by Argir et al. [11]. Follow-
ing a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis

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70
of a single macro-roughness, the authors conclude
that the convective inertia effect clearly shows the
inadequacy of using the Stokes model for analysing
macro-roughness flows in the range of usual Reynolds
numbers (Re), and that the inertia effect is present for
Re numbers larger than 1. Furthermore, it is stated
that this is the case for all practical applications using
textured surfaces. Subsequently, several studies were
published, confirming the findings of reference [11].
Sahlin et al. [12], in 2005, confirm that the introduc-
tion of a micro-groove on the stationary surface of
a parallel slider leads to a net pressure build-up and
hydrodynamic lift which cannot be predicted when
the advective terms are excluded from the Navier–
Stokes equations. Similarly, Kraker et al. [13] conclude
that, for film heights that are larger or comparable
with the texture depth, convective inertia effects are
important and Navier–Stokes equations are needed
for solving the problem. A different CFD-based study
where an entire textured plane-inclined slider was
modelled, without periodic boundary conditions, was
published by Li and Chen, in 2007 [14]. The com-
parison between Reynolds and CFD (Navier–Stokes)
solutions lead these authors to the conclusion that,
when the depth of the rectangular texture exceeds 10
per cent of the film thickness, the Reynolds equation
is no longer applicable.
The present paper investigates the validity limits
of the Reynolds equation for textured parallel slid-
ers further, as well as the influence of inertia effects
in such configurations. As in the previous studies
on this topic [11–14], the cavitation phenomenon is
neglected, and an infinitely wide slider is considered.
Thus, the results obtained in this study are directly
comparable with those detailed in references [11] to
[14]. It is shown that some of the conclusions of
these CFD studies are inadequately generalized and,
consequently, misleading. More precisely, it is shown
that Reynolds equation is applicable in many prac-
tical configurations and that the texture aspect ratio
(ratio between the length of the dimple and its depth)
is equally important in determining the validity of
Reynolds equation as is the Reynolds number. Further-
more, it is found that the influence of inertia cannot
be assessed by simple single-texture simulations. For
example, in partially textured sliders (inlet texture),
inertia is found to have negative effects, diminishing
the generated hydrodynamic lift.
2 THEORETICAL AND NUMERICAL APPROACH
The lubricant flow between a stationary textured
surface and a moving slider was modelled in this
work using either the classical Reynolds equation
(Re model), or the Navier–Stokes system of equa-
tions (NS model), for an isoviscous and incompressible
lubricant. These classical equations are not presented
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M B Dobrica and M Fillon
here. Cavitation boundary conditions are not used
in this study, and the pressure is allowed to have
negative values, as in most studies discussing the
effects of inertia and the validity of Reynolds equation.
The Reynolds equation is discretized over the flow
domain using the finite volume method, and it is
solved using the Gauss–Seidel method. The Navier–
Stokes system of equations is solved using the SIMPLE
algorithm with a finite volume discretization. The
numerical codes used in this paper are isoviscous ver-
sions of the THD codes presented in reference [15]
(the Reynolds and NS equations are also given in
this reference, for a lubricant having variable vis-
cosity). The Navier–Stokes-based results presented in
the fourth section of this paper (related to inertia
effects) are obtained by simulations using a commer-
cial CFD code (Fluent). The use of this software was
preferred due to its ability to deal with more complex
meshes, required for simulating partially or fully tex-
tured sliders. In parametric studies where numerous
configurations of a single texture cell are considered,
it is easier to perform the simulations with a propri-
etary code where mesh and input parameters can be
iteratively varied.
Figure 1 presents the elementary texture cell consid-
ered in this study, and its geometrical parameters. The
texture can be described by three non-dimensional
parameters: the texture density ρT (defined as the
ratio between the dimple length lD and the texture
cell length lC ), the relative dimple depth S (defined
as the ratio between the dimple depth hD and the
land film thickness hF ), and the dimple aspect ratio
λ (defined as the ratio between the dimple length lD
and the dimple depth hD ). In this study, the texture
density ρT was kept constant and equal to 0.5, and
the relative dimple depth S was also kept constant
and equal to 1.0. These values were chosen because
they are round and because they are often employed
in theoretical studies dealing with textured surfaces.
For optimal partially textured parallel sliders, using
Reynolds equation analyses, the optimal dimple depth
Fig. 1 Elementary texture cell
JET433 © IMechE 2009
 Validity of Reynolds equation and inertia effects 71

Table 1 Texture dimple aspect ratio in experimental applications

Dimple aspect ratio (λ) Reynolds (Re)

Authors, Year Application Fabrication Minimum Maximum Optimal Minimum Maximum

Wang et al. (2001) [16] Parallel bearings LST 14 19 16 – –

Etsion and Halperin (2002) [3] Seals LST 10 10 10 – –
Ryk et al. (2002) [5] Piston rings LST 10 10 10 – –
Wang et al. (2003) [17] Parallel bearings Etching 11 197 109 – –
Kobatake et al. (2003) [18] Pin-on-disc LST 40 174 174 – –
Pettersson and Jacobson (2003) [19] Pin-on-disc Etching 4 10 4 – –
Etsion et al. (2004) [4] Parallel bearings LST 9 9 9 20 180
Siripuram and Stephens (2004) [20] Texture examples UV-LIGA 86 86 86 – –
Venkatesan and Stephens (2005) [21] Parallel bearings UV-LIGA 40 40 40 – –
Glavatskih et al. (2005) [22] Tilt-pad thrust bearings Milling 100 100 100 3 40
Kovalchenko et al. (2005) [23] Pin-on-disc LST 11 15 15 – –
Mourier et al. (2006) [24] EHL contact LST 4.4 300 300 7.E-05 3.E-04
Andersson et al. (2007) [25] Pin-on-disc LST 1 5 1 – –
Křupka and Hartl (2007) [26] EHL contact Indentation 33 140 140 8.E-06 8.E-06
Costa and Hutchings (2007) [27] Piston rings Etching 8 40 14 0 5.E-05
Marian et al. (2007) [28] Parallel bearings UV-LIGA 22 22 22 1 2.5
Average dimple aspect ratio (λ = lD /hD ) 25 74 66

for ρT = 0.5 is found to be around S = 0.65. Optimal
texture density in partially textured sliders is ρT = 1,
but this is incompatible with the notion of texture,
leading to a Rayleigh step [10].
The parameters varying in this study are the dim-
ple aspect ratio, λ (in the range 1–512), and the
Reynolds number, Re = ρUhF /μ (in the range 0.125–
256). The interest in varying the Re number is quite
obvious – the practical applications of textured sur-
faces may function at various Reynolds numbers. In
this study, the factor μU , which is part of the pressure
non-dimensioning factor (p∗ = ph2F /μUl C ), was kept
constant. The lubricant density ρ was also kept con-
stant (860 kg/m3 ). Consequently, the Re number was
varied by multiplying the viscosity while dividing the
runner velocity by the same factor. The dimple aspect
ratio λ was varied so as to cover a large range of appli-
cations reported in the literature. This was achieved
for λ by modifying the texture cell length (lC ), while
keeping a constant film thickness (hF ) and dimple
depth (hD ). Since it will be shown that this parameter
has a significant influence on the validity of Reynolds
equation, a review of the literature was conducted, in
search of reports of practical applications of textured
surfaces. The values of λ encountered in these pub-
lications are reported in Table 1. For those studies in
which textures having different λ ratios are used, the
minimum and the maximum values of this parameter
are reported, as well as its ‘optimal’ value, if the authors
have determined one or if texture having a certain λ
value was studied predominantly. It can be noted that
λ values between 10 and 100 are most often encoun-
tered, which was also noted by Feldman et al. [29]. The
average values of λ are found between 25 and 74. This
suggests that studies such as the ones reported in refer-
ence [11], where λ is taken to be around unity, are not
representative of the actual applications of textured
surfaces. The computation of the Reynolds number
(Re) was possible only for few of the studies reported
in Table 1, as the information on fluid film thickness
was missing in the others. Since most of the reported
experiments cover a large range of functioning condi-
tions (velocity, load, temperature), the minimum and
the maximum of the computed Re numbers are given
in Table 1.
3 VALIDITY OF REYNOLDS EQUATION
This paragraph reports the results obtained for the
periodic flow developed in an infinite row of texture
cells, at various Re numbers and λ ratios. Only one
texture cell is modelled, with periodic boundary con-
ditions. Figure 2 shows the pressure isobars (NS) in
the fluid, and on the runner surface (NS and Re), for a
square dimple (λ = 1), (a) at Re = 0.125 and (b) at Re =
8.0. It can be noted that, for a square dimple, whether
the Re number is very small or not has no influence
on the validity of the Re model. In this case, the basic
assumption of small variations in lubricant thickness
compared with the feature length is violated. Conse-
quently, the Reynolds equation cannot be applied in
this case. However, these results cannot be generalized
to all textured configurations. Figure 3 shows corre-
sponding results obtained for λ = 16 and Re = 4.0, and
for λ = 64 and Re = 16.0. In both these configurations,
the Re model remains applicable, and the pressure
profile predicted by the Reynolds equation is very sim-
ilar to the one yielded by the NS model. This suggests
that, for sufficiently large dimple aspect ratios, the
Reynolds equation might be applicable even at larger
Reynolds numbers. Thus, the importance of taking the
dimple aspect ratio (λ) into account is demonstrated.
However, these results alone do not indicate whether
the Reynolds equation can be used for modelling
a particular application or otherwise.

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72 M B Dobrica and M Fillon

Fig. 2 Pressure distribution for square dimples (λ = 1)

Fig. 3 Pressure distribution for long dimples (λ = 16 and λ = 64)

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 Validity of Reynolds equation and inertia effects 73

A series of simulations were subsequently con-
ducted in order to assess the accuracy of the Re model
for various λ ratios and Re numbers. The accuracy is
evaluated using the relative difference between the Re
model results and those predicted by the NS model.
For this periodic configuration (representative of a
fully textured slider with equally spaced dimples),
comparing the results of the two models is delicate
since, in the absence of cavitation boundary condi-
tions, a zero (Re) or close to zero (NS) load capacity is
obtained. Two indicators were used in order to ensure
the relevance of these comparisons. One (1 ) is the
average absolute variation in the local runner pressure
predicted by the two models, normalized with respect
to the average positive pressure obtained with the NS
model (equation (1)). Normalizing with respect to the
average positive pressures avoids the division by zero
or by very small values that would occur if the normal-
ization was made with respect to the local pressure.
Since this indicator is based on the absolute differ-
ence in local pressure, it will be sensible to the smallest
shift between the two pressure fields, even when their
integral (the load capacity) is the same
The pressure profiles for a configuration in which the
two models predict significantly different results (λ =
64, Re = 128), together with the corresponding values
of these indicators, is given in Fig. 4. In this figure,
the regions used for computing the pressure integrals
(2 ) are indicated, as well as the region between the
two pressure profiles whose area defines the average
absolute variation in local runner pressure (1 ).
The variation of the two indicators (1 and 2 ) as
a function of Re and λ is presented in Figs 5(a) and
(b). Two observations can be made based on these
charts. In this discussion, it will be assumed that the Re
model is valid when the relative difference between the
results obtained with this model and those obtained
with the NS model is smaller than 10 per cent (1 < 10
per cent, 2 < 10 per cent). First, it can be noted that
the domain of validity of Reynolds equation is quite
small, varying from Re  3 at λ = 10 to Re  60 at
λ = 100. However, these conditions can occur in many
oil lubricated applications where the runner velocity

  
|pRe (x) − pNS (x)|
1 = + dx;
x paverage NS
+
paverage NS = MEAN(pNS |pNS > 0) (1)

The second indicator (2 ) is the variation in the inte-

gral of the positive components of the pressure fields
predicted by the two models (equation (2)) normal-
ized with respect to the integral of positive pressures
obtained with the NS model
    
x
pRe (x)dx p>0 − x pNS (x)dx p>0
2 =   (2) Fig. 4 Computing the average difference between the Re
p (x)dx p>0
x NS
and NS solutions (example for λ = 64, Re = 128)

Fig. 5 Relative differences 1 and 2 between the results obtained with Re and NS models

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74 M B Dobrica and M Fillon
and the film thickness are small (e.g. U < 10 m/s for
hF < 10 μm and λ = 10). Second, these results confirm
that for small λ ratios (less than ∼10), the Re model
is inapplicable whatever the Re number. From this
perspective, three regions can be identified in these
charts:
(a) region I, where the assumption of small variations
in film thickness compared with the feature length
is violated, and the Re model is inapplicable; how-
ever, inertia effects are small and a Stokes model
should be appropriate in this zone;
(b) region II, where inertia effects are important and
need to be taken into account;
(c) region III, where inertia effects are small, as are
the variations in film thickness with respect to the
texture cell length; consequently, the Re model can
be safely used.
The region delimited by the values of λ most often
encountered in the literature (10 < λ < 100) is marked
by a grey background in these plots, and permits
to assess the validity of Reynolds equation for most
practical applications of textured surfaces.
The pressure profiles presented in Fig. 4 show that,
for larger λ ratios, the inertia effects introduced by the
dimple are quite similar to those observed in Rayleigh
step bearings [15], in the region of discontinuous fluid
film thickness. Such inertia effects can be partially cor-
rected by means of the method used by Argir et al. [30].
Starting from these observations, a correction to allow
for inertia effects was introduced in the Re model. The
procedure is detailed in reference [31], and is based
on equation (3), written here for a discontinuity in the
film thickness (flow section) at the coordinate x
ρ(u(x − ))2 ρ(u(x + ))2
p(x − ) + = p(x + ) +
2 2
ρ[MAX(u(x − ), u(x + ))]2
+ξ
2
In this equation, the coordinates x + and x − denote
the locations found immediately upstream and down-
stream of the discontinuity line, while p and u denote
the hydrodynamic pressure and average fluid velocity
at these locations. Numerically, these locations rep-
resent the mesh nodes found just at the right and at
the left of the discontinuity. Practically, the pressure is
artificially increased or diminished on the steps intro-
duced by the texture, so as to compensate the loss or
gain in kinetic energy caused by the fluid slowdown
(flow-section expansion) or acceleration (flow-section
restriction). An additional correction factor, ξ , is pro-
posed in reference [30], but it appears that its values
must be experimentally (or numerically) determined,
and it was not used here (i.e. ξ = 0). Figure 6 shows
the effects of this correction, for the configuration
previously presented in Fig. 4. It can be noted that
a significant amelioration of the results is observed
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Fig. 6 Pressure profiles obtained with Re + inertia and
NS models (λ = 64, Re = 128)
when this inertia correction is added to the Reynolds
equation (Re+I model). Such an approach can further
extend the validity domain of a simple Reynolds-based
model. The relative differences between the results
obtained with a Re+Inertia model and the NS model
were subsequently evaluated as a function of Re and
λ. The same indicators presented earlier (1 and 2 )
are presented in Figs 7(a) and (b), with the Re model
being replaced by the Re+I model.
A remarkable amelioration is observed, without sig-
nificantly increasing the complexity of the previously
used Reynolds model. As expected, the Re + I model
remains inappropriate for small values of λ (λ < 10),
where the variations in film thickness are compara-
ble in magnitude with the dimple length. However,
when the inertia effects are taken into account in this
simple manner, and using the Reynolds equation, the
validity domain of the Re + I model is significantly
improved in the region where λ > 10 (up to Re  30
(3) for λ = 10, and up to Re ≈ 300 for λ = 100). Conse-
quently, a significantly larger range of applications can
be investigated using this model, without having to
resort to complicated NS solutions.
4 INFLUENCE OF INERTIA
A second aspect investigated in this paper is the influ-
ence of inertia (or ‘convective inertia’ as it is called in
most CFD-based studies). The interest of this analysis
was raised by the contradiction between the posi-
tive inertia effects observed in references [11] and
[12], and the negative inertia effects observed for
Rayleigh step sliders [15]. A clear shift of the pres-
sure field towards the inlet can also be observed in
this work (Fig. 2(b)) for small λ ratios, as well as an
increase in runner pressure in the dimple region for
larger λ ratios (Fig. 6). However, is this an indication
of a pressure build-up effect that can explain the lift
JET433 © IMechE 2009
 Validity of Reynolds equation and inertia effects 75

Fig. 7 Relative differences 1 and 2 between the results obtained with Re + inertia and NS
models

generated in textured bearings/sliders, as suggested
in references [11] and [12]?
Figure 8(a) to (f ) shows the different results obtained
with Fluent for a single texture cell, with periodic
boundary conditions, in a configuration where sig-
nificant convective-inertia effects are present (S = 1,
λ = 2, Re = 57.3). All the configurations are identi-
cal, except that the periodic boundary conditions
were placed at different positions with respect to the
dimple (i.e. different sections of the infinite slider
were modelled, with periodic boundary conditions).
Consequently, these results appear as ‘very different’
solutions to the same problem, that of a textured slider
of infinite length. This happens because Fluent, like
any other flow solver, requires a reference pressure to
be imposed in a point of the domain, and the result-
ing pressure field is computed with respect to this
imposed value. By shifting the periodic boundary, the
reference pressure (zero in this case) is taken at dif-
ferent locations in the fluid domain. Consequently,
an almost full positive pressure field is obtained in
case (b), for example, while a completely negative
pressure is obtained in case (e).
These results show that the ‘net pressure build-up’
effect observed in references [11] and [12] is valid
only for the precise configuration of a finite-length,
fully textured parallel slider, with the dimples equally
spaced with respect to one another and with respect to

Fig. 8 Different solutions to the same problem – a textured slider of infinite length

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76 M B Dobrica and M Fillon

Fig. 9 Pressure profile with optimally shifted dimples: (a) high and (b) low inertia effects

Fig. 10 Inertia effects in a partially textured (inlet texture) parallel slider

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 Validity of Reynolds equation and inertia effects
the slider edges, and where particular inlet flow con-
ditions are met. More precisely, a shift of the periodic
pressure profile towards the inlet is observed in this
case, leading to a larger positive pressure region, com-
pared with the negative pressure zone. However, if this
effect is sought after when designing textured sliders,
it is more efficient to shift the dimple position in the
texture cell towards the inlet. Then, a fully positive
pressure is obtained for the entire domain (Fig. 9(a)).
However, the same effect can also be obtained at
small Re numbers and/or large λ ratios, where iner-
tia has negligible influence, as presented in Fig. 9(b)
for Re = 5.73 and λ = 20. Moreover, it can be noted
that the integral of the non-dimensioned pressure is
even larger in this case (thus, larger load capacity
is obtained). Is it then correct to speak of pressure
build-up or inertia generated lift in textured configura-
tions? According to these results, obtained for optimal
dimple positioning in fully textured parallel sliders
(Fig. 9), inertia induces a pressure loss rather than
a pressure gain, compared with an inertia-less con-
figuration. This can be observed by comparing the
pressure field obtained for the high-inertia configu-
ration (Fig. 9(a)) with the pressure field obtained for
the inertia-less configuration (Fig. 9(b)).
These results show that inertia effects must be
analysed in the specific configuration in which the
designer is interested, and not on single texture cells
with centered-dimples. As an example, Fig. 10 presents
the pressure profiles for a high inertia flow (Re =
287) and for an inertia-less flow (Re < 0.003), in a
partially textured slider. Partially textured sliders are
known to have better performance than fully textured
ones [7, 10, 28], and they are more likely to be used
in textured applications. In this case, once again, a
clear loss in overall hydrodynamic lift is induced by
the lubricant inertia.
5 CONCLUSIONS
This paper presents an in-depth analysis on the
validity of Reynolds equation in modelling textured
infinitely wide parallel sliders, and on the effects of
inertia in such configurations. A significant number of
numerical simulations were conducted, using either
proprietary codes (Reynolds, Navier–Stokes) or com-
mercial CFD simulation software (Fluent), for different
configurations of texture cells and textured sliders.
A first conclusion to be drawn is that particular care
must be taken when generalizing the results of such
simulations. Second, this paper shows the importance
of the dimple aspect ratio (λ) when judging the accu-
racy of Reynolds equation. Compared with previous
studies, where only the influence of Re was considered,
taking the λ parameter into account can lead to com-
pletely different conclusions. Thus, it appears that the
Reynolds equation can be applied in textured sliders,
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77
as long as λ is sufficiently large, and Re sufficiently
small. This paper also demonstrated that the accuracy
of Reynolds equation can be easily and significantly
improved by taking the inertia effects into account in
a simple manner.
Charts are given that establish whether a certain
configuration can be modelled using the Reynolds
equation or not, and the expected associated accuracy
loss. These charts are presented for shallow dimples
(hD /hF = 1) with a texture density of 50 per cent (ρT =
0.5), and they are expected to be inaccurate for deep
texture configurations (hD  hF ). The range of λ and
Re values considered in these charts should cover most
practical applications of fluid lubricated textured con-
tacts, and the results are valid whatever the means of
achieving a particular λ/Re combination.
Concerning the inertia influence, once again, con-
tradictory results were obtained with respect to pre-
vious studies. While a clear shift of the pressure field
towards the inlet is observed at large Reynolds num-
bers and small λ ratios, it seems that this cannot be
interpreted as a lift-generating effect, with the excep-
tion of very few particular configurations. In general
(especially in optimal texture configurations), it is
shown that inertia has negative effects, reducing the
load capacity of the slider. This is particularly clear in
the case of partially textured sliders, but is also seen
for the optimal dimple arrangement in fully textured
configurations.
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