Numerical Simulation of Double Conformal Contacts Involving Both Interference and Clearance

Abstract

Cylindrical conforming contacts are of great practical importance in engineering applications. Their contact behavior and stress fields need to be determined for desired configurations in order to achieve successful designs. A common configuration involving a ring has double interfaces, but their collective behavior is not well studied. Due to the fact that in a great number of designs the ring is constrained by an interference, this article focuses on simulating loaded double conforming contacts when at least one interface is subject to an interference while the other interface can have a clearance. This development is built upon analytical solutions of normal surface displacement and fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based contact algorithms presented in an earlier model. However, the model is novel in its ability to deal with interference in double-interface contact problems. The effects of microgeometry feature/deviations on the contact behavior are investigated with quantitative results from the model. This simulation model can be useful for design engineers in various engineering fields.

KEY WORDS:

• Contact Mechanics
• Journal Bearings
• Stress Analysis

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author gratefully acknowledges financial support from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Advance Technology Program (ATP) Grant No. 70NANB7H7007 and Dr. Jean-Louis Staudenmann, ATP program manager. The author also thanks Dr. Leon Keer, Dr. Diann Hua, Dr. Wei Chen, and Dr. Jun Wen (ABAQUS simulation) for their valuable input.

Review led by Liming Chang