Abstract
This analysis investigates the thermal effects on crack growth in rolling contact fatigue surface pitting. Here the prepitting crack is modeled as an inclined planar surface crack in a three-dimensional half-space. Rolling contact is simulated as a line load with both normal and shear components, moving with constant velocity over the surface of the half-space. A frictional heat input in the contact region is included to incorporate the thermal loading. The body force method for three-dimensional fracture mechanics is utilized to determine the three modes of stress intensity factors along the crack contour, which quantify crack growth. Numerical results for the stress intensity factors over a loading cycle are given for a semicircular crack. The effects of two thermal parameters, one representing heat input strength and the other representing velocity of the contact region, on the stress intensity factors are determined.