AWARDEE OF TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCES PRIZE

WEN SHIZHU

Wen Shizhu,  was born in November 1932 in Fengcheng County of Jiangxi Province, the Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a specialist in mechanology.  He is a professor of Department of Precision Instruments and Mechanology of Tsinghua University.  Prof. Wen graduated from Department of Mechanical Manufacture of Tsinghua University in 1955, and then joined the faculty of Tsinghua Universty. In 1979, Prof. Wen went to the Empiral College of Science and Technology, London University, as a visiting scholar, majoring in tribology. From 1981 to now, Prof. Wen has been the director of Institute of Tribology of Tsinghua University, the director of the State Key Laboratory of Tribology. Now he also serves as the chairman of Academic Committee of Department of Precision Instrument and Mechnology of Tsinghua University, the council member of Chinese Mechanical Engineering Institute, the honorary council director of Division of Tribology.
Prof. Wen has mainly devoted himself to the basic research on tribology. He put forward a series of universal lubrication equations, established the engineering-based elastohydrodynamic lubrication theory, which constitutes the basis of modern lubrication design. His another main achievement is from his research work on nanotribology. He systematically investigated the forming mechanism and characteristics of thin-film lubrication at nano-scale, which supply the gap between elastohydrodynamic lubrication and boundary lubrication in current lubrication theory system. Further more Prof. Wen established the criteria on lubrication state transition. All of the theories and researches can be applied to design of super precise and micro machines. In addition, Prof. Wen developed viscoplasticity and viscoelasticity rheologic lubrication theory, discovered the yielding and failure mechanisms of lubrication film, which play significant role in lubrication design of high-speed and heavy-load machine elements.