Contact of ropes and orthotropic rough surfaces

Abstract

Contact between arbitrary curved ropes and arbitrary curved rough orthotropic surfaces has been revised from the geometrical point of view. Variational equations for the equilibrium of ropes on orthotropic rough surfaces are derived, first, using the consistent variational inclusion of frictional contact constraints via Karush‐Kuhn‐Tucker conditions expressed in Darboux basis. Then, the systems of differential equations are derived for both statics and dynamics of ropes on a rough surface depending on the sticking‐sliding condition for orthotropic Coulomb's friction. Three criteria are found to be fulfilled during the static equilibrium of a rope on a rough surface: “no separation”, condition for dragging coefficient of friction and inequality for tangential forces at the end of the rope. The limit tangential loads still preserve the famous “Euler view” T = T0e± ω s for the curves and surfaces of constant curvature. It is shown that the curve of the maximum tension of a rough orthotropic surface is geodesic. Equations of motion are derived in the case if the sliding criteria is fulfilled and there is “no separation”. Various cases possessing analytical solutions of the derived system, including Euler case and a spiral rope on a cylinder are shown as examples of application of the derived theory.