Consequence of contact local kinematics of sliding bodies on the surface temperatures generated

When studying contact with friction between two bodies, it is not possible to obtain data on real contact conditions on the basis of steady-state situations. Indeed, contacts with friction usually lead to dynamic instabilities generated at the contact interface. It is therefore necessary to take into account contact dynamics in order to better understand the phenomena involved during sliding with friction. The explicit dynamic finite element code PlastD in 2D is used to simulate the contact between two bodies. A constant Coulomb friction coefficient is imposed at the interface. The simulations carried out permitted identifying local contact conditions (kinematics, tribological state, stresses, etc.). They revealed that different instability regimes can be generated (stick–slip, slip–separation, stick–slip–separation, etc.). Local contact stresses and the sliding velocity oscillate through time when instabilities are generated and their maximum values can be much higher than those expected for steady-state conditions. The aim of this paper is to analyse the frictional instabilities and their consequences on the heat generated in the contact. First, the influence of the different instability regimes is studied on a simple contact. Then, an industrial mechanism is studied (wheel–rail contact) to investigate the influence of local contact conditions on the temperature of the rail surface.