Boundary and Mixed Friction in the Presence of Dynamic Normal Loads: Part I—System Model

Abstract

The instantaneous normal motion between bodies in a sliding contact is an important variable in determining dynamic friction under unsteady sliding conditions. In order to model friction under dynamic conditions, it is therefore necessary to combine a dynamic model of the sliding system with an accurate model of the friction process. In the present work, the nonlinear normal dynamics of a friction test apparatus are described by a linearized model at a particular steady loading and sliding condition in a mixed or boundary-lubricated regime. The geometry is a line contact. The Hertzian bulk contact compliance and film and asperity damping and stiffness characteristics are included as discrete elements. In Part I of the paper, a fifth-order model is developed for the normal dynamics of the system, using both the Eigensystem Realization Algorithm (ERA) and classical experimental modal analysis techniques. In Part II, this system model is combined with a friction model, developed independently, to describe dynamic friction forces under both harmonic and impulsive applied normal loads.