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The Hidden Impact of Friction: Did You Know How It Affects 20% of Global Energy Consumption?
Friction is the force that resists the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements. Although friction is ubiquitous in our daily lives, its impact is often underestimated, especially in terms of global energy consumption. According to research, friction energy loss accounts for about 20% of global energy consumption, which is a number that cannot be ignored.
Frictional energy loss is a major source of energy waste, but people's understanding of friction often remains superficial, failing to explore its extensive impact on energy conversion and mechanical efficiency.
Friction can be classified into various categories, including dry friction, fluid friction, lubricated friction, skin friction, and internal friction. Each frictional force exists to resist the tendency of surfaces to interact and move relative to each other. For example, dry friction is the force that resists the relative motion of solid surfaces when they are in contact, while fluid friction is the friction between layers of a viscous fluid.
From a historical perspective, as early as 350 BC, the ancient Greek philosopher Themistius realized that "it takes less force to push a moving object than a stationary one" . This sentence reveals the essential difference between static friction and dynamic friction. In the following centuries, famous scientists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Amontón, and Coulomb continued to advance the study of friction, including the role of interface roughness, applied force, and surface contact area in friction. .
Classical laws of friction, such as Amonton's three laws, state that the magnitude of friction is proportional to the applied load and is independent of the contact area.
Generally speaking, the calculation of friction involves many factors, such as material properties, contact surface shape, and the magnitude of external force. This makes the enterprise applications of friction more complex, especially in scenarios that require precise control of mechanical operations. Whether in industrial production or daily necessities, the existence of friction will cause energy loss. For example, when a car is driving, due to the friction between the tires and the road, part of the kinetic energy is converted into heat energy, thereby reducing efficiency.
When discussing the effects of friction, we cannot ignore the environmental impact of friction. According to the report, friction accounts for 20% of global energy consumption, equivalent to billions of dollars in potential energy savings. For example, many manufacturing and transportation industries can significantly improve energy efficiency and thus reduce carbon emissions if they can fully consider friction reduction technologies during design and production.
The hidden impact of friction may be an important factor we should consider in our quest for sustainable development and reducing energy waste.
With the advancement of science and technology, researchers are constantly exploring the characteristics of friction at the micro and macro levels. Recently, through the development of atomic force microscopy, scientists have been able to observe friction at the atomic scale and understand the influence of actual contact area and pressure between rough surfaces on friction. This not only challenges the traditional friction calculation formula, but also provides a new method for calculating friction. Applications provide new perspectives.
However, the control of friction remains a challenge, especially in sliding friction applications. The appropriateness of engineering design and material selection, the use of lubricants, and surface treatment techniques may all play a decisive role in the effects of friction. This situation may be improved through advanced technologies, such as self-lubricating materials and surface nano-treatment, thereby achieving energy saving.
The study of friction is not just about understanding and calculating a physical phenomenon; it is also about how to exploit this phenomenon in dynamics to improve efficiency. As global energy becomes increasingly scarce, we might as well think about whether we can manage and utilize friction more effectively through more in-depth scientific research and technological applications, thereby reducing global energy consumption and environmental impact?
