Analysis on elastic-plastic spherical contact and its deformation regimes, the one parameter regime and two parameter regime, by finite element simulation

Weimin Chen, Min Li, Yang Tse Cheng

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this paper the contact problem of a rigid sphere against an elastic-plastic sphere and a spherical elastic-plastic cavity is studied by means of finite element simulation for a wide range of radius ratios. Our results indicate that the deformation range naturally divides into two regimes, i.e. a one parameter regime (covering the elastic, small elastic-plastic and similarity deformation) and a two parameter regime (covering the finite deformation). In these two regimes average contact pressures (as well as contact area) versus indentation depth can be described respectively by the single parameter, i.e. indentation depth h/Re, and the two parameters, i.e. h/Re and radius ratio R1/R2. Moreover, the variation trends of average contact pressure with the increase of indentation depth differ markedly in different deformation regimes. The numerical evolution of pressure distribution indicates that with increase of indentation depth the pressure distribution becomes more peaked at the center of the contact area meanwhile the maximum contact pressure, limited by the flow stress, increases slightly. Therefore in the two parameter regime, the average pressure would stop growing and get lower rather than continuously higher as it does in the one parameter regime.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)898-903
Number of pages6
JournalVacuum
Volume85
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 25 2011

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Science Foundation of China ( 10772183 ) and the Intellectual Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences ( KJCX2-YW-L07 ). The authors would like to thank the fruitful discussions with Professor C.M. Cheng in Institute of Mechanics, CAS.

Keywords

  • Contact geometry
  • Contact mechanics
  • Finite element simulation
  • Indentation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Instrumentation
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films

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