Use of the Inverse Approach to Investigate the Stresses in Rough Elastohydrodynamic Contacts

Abstract

The inverse approach, described in detail in a companion paper, is applied to two contacts. The first is a line contact with transverse roughness; the second a point contact with an ellipticity ratio of four containing an isolated transverse surface feature. In each case the surface profile was monitored as the operating conditions became more severe. These profiles were used to define the surface in a multi-level EHL solver and the pressures and subsurface stresses calculated. After allowing for the build up of residual stress, the maximum subsurface stress was compared with the yield strength of the rough surface. Good agreement was obtained indicating, first, that EHL theory is accurate for the rolling case examined and, second, that the Hooke-Venner hypothesis of equivalence between roughness effects in line and point contacts is valid.