Fretting is the tribological phenomenon observed in nominally-clamped components which experience vibratory loads or oscillations. Associated with fretting contacts are regions of small-amplitude relative motion or microslip that occurs at the edges of contact. A newly-available infrared technology capable of resolving temperatures fields finely, both spatially and temporally, is used to characterize the near-surface conditions associated with fretting contact between an aluminum alloy cylinder and flat. Both frictional heating due to interfacial slip and the coupled-thermoelastic effect arising from strains in the material induce these temperatures. The experimental results provide insight into not only the magnitude and distribution of near-surface temperatures, but also the nature of the contact stress field and the mechanics of partial slip fretting contacts. Comparisons of the measured temperature fields are made with those predicted by considering both conduction of the frictional heat flux and coupled-thermoelastic theory.
A statistically-designed experimental program engendered to validate an analytical approach for the prediction of fretting crack nucleation in 2024-T351 aluminum alloy has been completed. The test results indicate that the near-surface cyclic contact stress and strain field can be juxtaposed with a multiaxial fatigue life parameter relying on uniaxial strain-life constants to predict crack nucleation for a wide range of load intensities and conditions representative of those experienced in riveted joints. With this approach validated, efforts have been initiated to predict fretting-induced fatigue failures in riveted single lap joint structures. Research was targeted at characterizing the conditions at and around the rivet/hole interface, including finite element modeling of both the mechanics of load transfer in riveted joints and the residual stress field introduced during the rivet installation process. Model results and an ancillary set of fatigue tests of single lap joint test articles have identified a strong correlation among riveting process parameters, the mechanics of load transfer, and the subsequent tribological and fatigue degradation of the joints. Final comments are offered regarding the ability of this integrated approach to predict the fatigue performance of riveted lap joint structures.
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