Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Frictional and Thermal Behavior in Oscillatory Sliding Line Contact

A model is developed to predict the thermal behavior of two sliding bodies undergoing oscillatory relative motion. The thermal model is capable of predicting the temperature rise distribution within the pin-bushing pair and the housing. The bodies geometrically form a pin-bushing configuration and the Hertzian line contact theory is used to approximate the contact pressure and the width. A quasi- three dimensional temperature model is developed by averaging the temperature in the axial direction. The resulting dimensionless heat equations and proper boundary conditions are solved by the finite element method. A series of dimensionless equations for use at the design stage is presented. A test rig capable of inducing oscillatory motion under heavy loading condition is used for measuring friction and temperature. The measured coefficient of friction history, which is curve fit as a function of time, is used in the simulations. The description of the test rig, modeling aspects, and the future extension of the research comprise the contents of this paper.