Contact Mechanics - Hertzian Theory of Non-adhesive Elastic Contact

Hertzian Theory of Non-adhesive Elastic Contact

The classical theory of contact focused primarily on non-adhesive contact where no tension force is allowed to occur within the contact area, i.e., contacting bodies can be separated without adhesion forces. Several analytical and numerical approaches have been used to solve contact problems that satisfy the no-adhesion condition. Complex forces and moments are transmitted between the bodies where they touch, so problems in contact mechanics can become quite sophisticated. In addition, the contact stresses are usually a nonlinear function of the deformation. To simplify the solution procedure, a frame of reference is usually defined in which the objects (possibly in motion relative to one another) are static. They interact through surface tractions (or pressures/stresses) at their interface.

As an example, consider two objects which meet at some surface in the (,)-plane with the -axis assumed normal to the surface. One of the bodies will experience a normally-directed pressure distribution and in-plane surface traction distributions and over the region . In terms of a Newtonian force balance, the forces:

P_z = \int_S p(x,y)~ \mathrm{d}A ~;~~ Q_x = \int_S q_x(x,y)~ \mathrm{d}A ~;~~ Q_y = \int_S q_y(x,y)~ \mathrm{d}A

must be equal and opposite to the forces established in the other body. The moments corresponding to these forces:

M_x = \int_S y~p(x,y)~ \mathrm{d}A ~;~~ M_y = \int_S x~p(x,y)~ \mathrm{d}A ~;~~ M_z = \int_S ~ \mathrm{d}A

are also required to cancel between bodies so that they are kinematically immobile.

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