Numerical and Finite Element Contact Temperature Analysis of Steel-Bronze Real Surfaces in Dry Sliding Contact

Abstract

Numerical techniques have been developed and used to evaluate the contact temperature distribution between real surfaces in sliding contact. The contact temperature is evaluated for the entire range of Peclet numbers. In the case of “slow sliding” problems a stationary numerical technique was used, whereas for “intermediate and fast sliding” problems transient finite element (FE) solutions were preferred. At first, sliding contact of a single spherical steel asperity over a steel or bronze surface was modelled in order to study the contact temperature development on a microscopic level. Contact temperature results for real steel-bronze sliding surfaces are also presented in order to provide information about more realistic stress and wear conditions; the latter will be modelled in future works. Presented as a Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASME/STLE Tribology Conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 26–28, 1998