Effect of convective cooling on frictionally excited thermoelastic instability

• Published in: Wear Vol. 296; no. 1-2; pp. 583 - 589
• Main Authors: Yi, Y.B., Bendawi, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 30.08.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Brakes/clutches; Convection; Convection cooling; Convective cooling; Cooling effects; Exact sciences and technology; Finite element; Finite element method; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Heat transfer; Instability; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Mechanical contact (friction...); Physics; Solid mechanics; Structural and continuum mechanics; Thermoelastic instability; Convective cooling; Thermoelastic instability; Brakes/clutches; Finite element; Cooling; Thermal dissipation; Convection; Lubricant; Heat transfer equation; Finite element method; Heat source; Instability; Thermoelasticity; Brake
• ISSN: 0043-1648; 1873-2577
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wear.2012.08.006

The effect of convective cooling on thermoelastic instability is evaluated using a finite element analysis. This is achieved by inserting a thermal convection term to the frictional heat generation in the formulation. It has been found that the convection or radiation heat dissipation can stabilize the thermal–mechanical feedback process, leading to a raised critical sliding velocity. Two representative models for brake and clutch systems are studied. The computational results reveal that the effect of thermal convection on the critical sliding speed is significant for liquid cooling (e.g. water, lubricants), but negligible for air convection. With the practical range of the convection coefficient estimated from the fundamental heat transfer theories, the critical speed in the presence of convection can be raised by two to three times as much as the original value. However, the wave number for the lowest critical speed remains almost unchanged regardless of the convective dissipation. The comparisons between linear and quadratic finite element interpolations are also made via a set of convergence studies. The results show that implementing quadratic elements in the friction layer has an obvious advantage over linear elements due to the rapid oscillations of the temperature across the thermal skin layer. This is particularly important in future studies when the problems in higher dimensions are of interest. ► Effect of convection on thermoelastic instability is studied. ► Eigenvalue formulation and finite element method are used. ► Liquid convection can raise the critical speed significantly. ► Air convection has negligible effects on thermoelastic instability. ► Convective cooling does not affect the dominant mode shapes.