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International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 44 (2002) 2573 – 2584

2D rolling contact problem involving frictional heating

V. Pauk, B. Zastrau∗
Institute of Mechanics and Applied Informatics, Technische Universitat Dresden, Dresden D-01062, Germany
Received 25 June 2002; received in revised form 19 November 2002; accepted 26 November 2002

Abstract

Rolling of an elastic thermoinsulated cylinder on a thermoelastic half-space is investigated. The frictional

heating due to the slipping in the contact area is involved. The problem is reduced to a nonlinear system
of integral equations which is solved iteratively. The e5ects of the heat generated on the rolling contact are
explored.
? 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Rolling contact; Stick–slip conditions; Frictional heating; Integral equation

1. Introduction

We consider a rolling of two elastic bodies. It is known, see for example [1], that some contacting
points in the mutual contact area may “slip” while others may “stick” during the rolling motion.
The distribution of stick and slip zones is not a priori known. To have a more clear situation we
will study the tractive rolling contact for cylinders with identical mechanical properties. This kind
of rolling is known as the Carter [2] problem and is applied for the rolling of wheels which are
driving or braked. In this case it is known that the stick zone is located at the leading edge of the
contact region and the zone near the trailing edge is under the slip conditions. The sizes of stick,
slip and total contact zone have to be determined during the solution of problem.
In the stick zone, the relative velocity between the contacting points is equal to zero. But in the
slip zone, the interfaces of rollers are in a sliding contact with the nonzero relative velocity. This
fact leads us to expect that the frictional heat is generated in the slip zone. The heat generated at the
interfaces produce some thermoelastic distortion which has e5ects on the contact area size, the slip
zone size and the distributions of normal and tangential tractions which cause the frictional heating.
By this connection the problem is coupled.

∗
Corresponding author. Tel.: +49-351-46333508; fax: +49-351-36337200.
E-mail address: bernd.w.zastrau@mailbox.tu-dresden.de (B. Zastrau).

0020-7403/03/$ - see front matter ? 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/S0020-7403(02)00193-5
2574 V. Pauk, B. Zastrau / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 44 (2002) 2573 – 2584

Several papers deal with the rolling contact problems involving frictional heating [3–7]. But the
solutions are obtained in the framework of simpliGed assumptions such as:

• the problem is uncoupled, the e5ects due to the heat generated on the size of the contact area,
stick and slip zones as well as on the normal pressure are neglected;
• the contact pressure is Hertzian;
• the relative velocity between the interfaces is constant;
• the frictional heating takes place over the total contact area which includes also the stick zone
with locked interfaces.

The aim of this work is to present a more exact formulation of the rolling contact problem
involving frictional heating. Using the Green functions obtained in Ref. [8], the problem is reduced
to the nonlinear system of integral equations which is solved iteratively. Presented results show the
e5ects of the frictional heating due to the slipping on the rolling contact.

2. Problem formulation

The geometry of the contact problem is shown in Fig. 1. An elastic cylinder of the radius R is
pressed by the normal load P and rolling over the surface of a thermoelastic half-space. The cylinder
is assumed to be very long and the deformation of bodies is plane. The motion is conveniently deGned
in a coordinate system 0xy, whose origin is attached to the cylinder and hence is moving in the
negative x-direction. In this coordinate system, the surfaces of bodies Kow into the contact area
with the constant rolling speed V . The total velocity of the contacting points depends also on the
deformation of bodies. If this deformation is steady, the relative nondimensional (normalized to V )
velocity between the contacting points can be obtained in the form [1]


@U1 @U2
v(x) = x − − ; −a ¡ x ¡ a; (1)
@x @x
where x is the creep ratio and U1 , U2 are the tangential displacements of the two contacting bodies.

Fig. 1. Contact geometry.

 V. Pauk, B. Zastrau / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 44 (2002) 2573 – 2584 2575

This velocity must be zero in the stick zones and positive in the slip zones. The problem which
arises here is that the distribution of stick and slip zones is unknown a priori. To simplify the
present problem we assume that the mechanical properties of the contacting bodies are identical. In
this case, as was stated in the Introduction, we have only one stick region located at the leading
edge and one slip region near the trailing edge. The boundary conditions at y = 0 are
@V1 @V2 x
+ =− ; −a ¡ x ¡ a; (2)
@x @x R

v(x) = 0
− a ¡ x ¡ c; (3)
|q(x)| ¡ f|p(x)|

v(x) ¿ 0
c ¡ x ¡ a; (4)
|q(x)| = f|p(x)|

where f = const is the Coulomb friction coeMcient; V1 , V2 are the vertical displacements of the
contacting bodies and p(x); q(x) are the normal and shearing tractions in the contact area.
Formulae (1) give the relative sliding between the contacting interfaces in the slip zone. Assuming
a dry friction we can expect the generation of heat in the slip zone due to the friction force. The
heat Kux ’(x) generated in the slip zone is equal to the work done against friction

’(x) = fVv(x)p(x); c¡x¡a (5)

and Kows into the half-space, since the cylinder is assumed to be thermoinsulated. The boundary of
the half-space outside the slip zone is also insulated. The thermal boundary condition at y = 0 is

@T ’(x); c ¡ x ¡ a
K = (6)
@y 0; x ¡ c; x ¿ a;

where K is the heat conductivity and T (x; y) is the temperature of the half-space.

3. Integral equations

To satisfy the boundary conditions (2) and the Grst of (3) we need the normal and tangential
displacements of the contacting bodies due to the action of normal and shearing tractions distributed
within the contact zone as well as due to the heat source in the slip zone. Applying the Hertz
assumptions for contacting bodies and using Green’s functions for the moving heat source [8] we
can write
 
@V1 @V2 2(1 − ) a p(x ) d x (1 + ) a
+ = −x
+ N1 (x − x)’(x ) d x ; (7)
@x @x  −a x K c
 
@U1 @U2 2(1 − ) a q(x ) d x (1 + ) a
− = −x
+ N2 (x − x)’(x ) d x (8)
@x @x  −a x K c
2576 V. Pauk, B. Zastrau / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 44 (2002) 2573 – 2584

where , ,  are, respectively, Poisson’s ratio, the shear modulus of the contacting bodies and the
thermal expansion of half-space. The kernels have the forms




Vz Vz Vz
N1 (z) = I0 − I1 exp − H (z); (9)
2k 2k 2k


 

2k V |z| V |z| Vz
N2 (z) = − + K0 + K1 sgn(z) exp − ; (10)
Vz 2k 2k 2k
where k is the thermal di5usivity of the half-space; I0 (·); I1 (·); K0 (·); K1 (·) are modiGed Bessel func-
tions and H (·) is Heaviside’s step function.
Satisfying the boundary conditions (2) and the Grst of (3) with the help of formulae (7), (8) and
(5) we arrive at the integral equations
 
2(1 − ) a p(x ) d x (1 + )fV a x

+ N1 (x − x)H (x − c)v(x )p(x ) d x = − ;
 −a x − x K −a R
−a ¡ x ¡ a; (11)

 
2(1 − ) a
q(x ) d x (1 + )fV a
+ N2 (x − x)H (x − c)v(x )p(x ) d x = x ;
 −a x − x K −a

−a ¡ x ¡ c: (12)

Eqs. (11) and (12) have to be completed by the equilibrium conditions

 a
p(x) d x = P; (13)
−a
 a
q(x) d x = Q; (14)
−a

where Q is a tangential load transmitted by the rollers.

To satisfy the remaining boundary conditions (3) and (4), the shearing traction is postulated in
the following form

q0 (x); −a ¡ x ¡ c
q(x) = fp(x) + (15)
0; c ¡ x ¡ a;

where the unknown corrective traction q0 (x) is distributed only in the stick zone.
Substituting (15) into (12) and using (11) after some manipulations we arrive at the integral
equation for the corrective traction
 
2(1 − ) c q0 (x ) d x (1 + )fV a fx

+ N (x − x)H (x − c)v(x )p(x ) d x = x + ;
 −a x − x K −a R
−a ¡ x ¡ c; (16)
 V. Pauk, B. Zastrau / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 44 (2002) 2573 – 2584 2577

where

N (z) = N2 (z)= − fN1 (z): (17)

The equilibrium condition (14) with the help of (15) reads
 c
q0 (x) d x = Q − fP: (18)
−a

The integral Eqs. (11), (16), (13) and (18) with the physical conditions

p(±a) = 0 (19)

q0 (−a) = q0 (c) = 0 (20)

is the complete system for the determination of the normal and tangential tractions.
This system is nonlinear, since the relative velocity v(x) given in formula (1) depends on the
normal pressure and can be calculated from (8) and (15) as

fx 2(1 − ) c q0 (x ) d x
v(x) = x + − 
R  −a x − x

(1 + )fV a
− N (x − x)H (x − c)v(x )p(x ) d x ; c ¡ x ¡ a: (21)
K −a

Introducing new variables, functions and parameters

x x
s= ; "= (22)
a a
in Eqs. (11), (13) and
x − b0 x  − b0 a−c a+c
t= ; %= ; a0 = ; b0 = (23)
a0 a0 2 2
in Eqs. (16), (18) and functions
a a a
p∗ (") = p(x); q0∗ (t) = q0 (x); v∗ (") = v(x); (24)
P P 2(1 − )P
system (11), (13), (16), (18)–(20) can be transformed to the dimensionless form
  1
1 1 p∗ (") d" 2 PH a2
+ fPeH N1∗ (" − s)H (" − c0 )v∗ (")p∗ (") d" = − s; |s| ¡ 1; (25)
 −1 " − s −1  P a2H
  1  
1 q0∗ (%) d%
1
∗ 1 + c0 1 − c0
+ fPeH N "− t+ H (" − c0 )v∗ (")p∗ (") d"
 −1 % − t −1 2 2
 
2f PH a2 1 + c0 1 − c0
=∗x + t − ; |t| ¡ 1; (26)
 P a2H 2 2
2578 V. Pauk, B. Zastrau / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 44 (2002) 2573 – 2584

 1
p∗ (s) ds = 1; (27)
−1
 1
1 + c0
q0∗ (t) dt = Q∗ − f; (28)
2 −1

p∗ (±1) = 0; (29)

q0∗ (±1) = 0; (30)

where it is denoted
c ax Va 2(1 + )kP Q
c0 = ; ∗x = ; Pe = ; H= ; Q∗ = (31)
a 2(1 − )P 2k aK P
and aH and PH are, respectively, the half-width of contact area and the normal load in the Hertz
problem [1]
4(1 − )RPH
a2H = : (32)

The dimensionless kernels (9), (10) and (17) have the following forms
N1∗ (z) = [I0 (zPe) − I1 (zPe)] exp(−zPe)H (z); (33)
1
N2∗ (z) = − + [K0 (|z|Pe) + K1 (|z|Pe) sgn(z)] exp(−zPe); (34)
zPe
N ∗ (z) = N2∗ (z)= − fN1∗ (z): (35)
The dimensionless velocity in the slip zone (21) can be calculated as

∗ ∗ 2f PH a2 1 + c0 1 q0∗ (%) d%
v (s) = x + s −
 P a2H  −1 (1 + c0 )% − (1 − c0 ) − 2s
 1
−fPeH N ∗ (" − s)H (" − c0 )v∗ (")p∗ (") d"; c0 ¡ s ¡ 1: (36)
−1
Note here that the contact area size a is unknown if the normal load P is prescribed. If this load
is given, it is therefore necessary to use an iterative procedure for the determination of the value of
a subjected to the physical conditions (19). In order to simplify the numerical calculations we make
another assumption: the contact area equals to that of the Hertz problem, i.e. a=aH = 1 but the ratio
PH =P has to be determined.

4. Numerical solution

The main diMculty in solving Eqs. (26)–(30) is the dependence of the velocity v∗ (s) on the
unknown contact pressure. Thus, this system was solved iteratively. Assuming the function v∗ (s) is
known in each iterations (say v∗ (s) = 0 in the Grst iteration and v∗ (s) calculated from formula (36)
in next iteration), Eqs. (26)–(30) state a linear system of Cauchy type singular integral equations.
 V. Pauk, B. Zastrau / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 44 (2002) 2573 – 2584 2579

The unknown tractions p∗ (s) and q0∗ (s) are presented in forms satisfying automatically conditions
(29) and (30)

p∗ (s) = (s) 1 − s2 ; |s| 6 1; (37)

q0∗ (s) = 0 (s) 1 − s2 ; |s| 6 1; (38)
where (s) are 0 (s) are new unknown regular functions.
Applying the Gauss–Chebyshev quadrature [9], the system of integral Eqs. (25)–(28) can be
reduced to the discretized form
1 wk ("k )
n n

(0 + + fPeH wk N1∗ ("k − sm )H ("k − c0 )v∗ ("k ) ("k )
 "k − s m
k=1 k=1

2 PH
+ sm = 0; m = 1; : : : ; n + 1; (39)
 P
n

wk ("k ) = 1; (40)
k=1
 
1 wk 0 ("k ) 2f PH
n
∗ 1+c0 1−c0
−x + = sm −
 "k −sm  P 2 2
k=1
n
 
1+c0 1−c0
−fPeH wk N1∗ "k − sm − H ("k −c0 )v∗ ("k ) ("k ); m=1; : : : ; n+1; (41)
2 2
k=1

1 + c0
n

wk 0 ("k ) = Q∗ − f; (42)
2
k=1

where the integration points "k , collocation points sm and weight coeMcients wk are [9]
 
k
"k = cos ; k = 1; : : : ; n; (43)
n+1
 
 2m − 1
sm = cos ; k = 1; : : : ; n + 1; (44)
2 n+1
 
 2 k
wk = sin ; k = 1; : : : ; n: (45)
n+1 n+1
The regularized constant (0 introduced in system (39) provides the condition [9]
lim (0 = 0: (46)
n→∞

The size c0 is also unknown and was found iteratively. The Grst iteration corresponds to the
solution without frictional heating [1]. So we have two iterations: external on v∗ (s) and inner on
c0 . In each inner iteration the system of (n + 2) linear algebraic equations (39), (40) was solved
Grst to determine (n + 2) unknowns ("k ), k = 1; : : : ; n; (0 and the ratio PH =P. Then the system of
2580 V. Pauk, B. Zastrau / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 44 (2002) 2573 – 2584

(n + 1) equations (41) was solved for (n + 1) unknowns 0 ("k ), k = 1; : : : ; n and ∗x . The equilibrium
condition (42) provides the appropriate accuracy in the determination of the size c0 .
The calculations conGrmed good convergence of the proposed procedure. To obtain a relative
accuracy equal to 0.1% we needed maximally 20 iterations on c0 and 35 iterations on v∗ (s). The
number n depends on the values of input parameters and was equal n = 50 : : : 200.
Knowing the distribution of the contact pressure we can calculate the temperature in the half-space
due to the frictional heating [10]
 a 
1    fV a
T (x; y) = M (x − x; y)’(x ) d x = M (x − x; y)H (x − c)v(x )p(x ) d x ; (47)
K c K −a
where

 

V z 2 + y2 ) Vz
M (z; y) = K0 exp − : (48)
2k 2k
Dimensionless surface temperature
aK
T ∗ (s) = T (x) (49)
2(1 − )fVP 2
will be calculated as
1
n
∗
T (sm ) = wk M ∗ ("k − sm )H ("k − c0 )v∗ ("h ) ("k ); m = 1; : : : ; n + 1; (50)

k=1

where
M ∗ (z) = K0 (|z|Pe) exp(−zPe): (51)

5. Results

The numerical solution of the system of algebraic equations in the procedure described above was
performed by the standard computational methods. The input parameters for calculations were: f,
friction coeMcient; Q∗ , dimensionless tangential load; Pe, Peclet number; and H , the thermomechan-
ical ratio.
The aim of numerical calculations is to explore the e5ects of these parameters on main charac-
teristics of the rolling contact.
To evaluate the values of these dimensionless parameters we take the following data [7] for the
contact of a roller made of steel as in the wheel–rail system: Poisson ratio =0.3; thermal expansion
coeMcient  = 1:1 × 10−5 C−1 ; thermal di5usivity k = 1:4 × 10−5 m2 s−1 ; thermal conductivity K =
◦

50 W m−1 C−1 ; shear ratio =8:1×1010 Pa; velocity V =22:2 m s−1 ; contact width a=5:5×10−3 m;
◦

coeMcient of friction f = 0:6; load P = 1:2 × 107 N m−1 .

Note here that in the paper [7] the load is given in the case of elliptical contact area Pel =
1:47 × 107 N. To obtain the value of axial load in the plane case we use the condition of the same
maximal value of the contact pressure in both elliptical and plane cases.
For these data the dimensionless parameters were calculated as H = 0:02 and Pe = 4360.
V. Pauk, B. Zastrau / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 44 (2002) 2573 – 2584 2581

0.4

q*

0.59
0.3
0.4
0.5

0.2

Q*=0.2
0.1

0
-1 -0.5 0 0.5 s 1

Fig. 2.

Fig. 2. Distribution of shearing traction for some values of tangential force.

0.8
v*

0.59
0.6 0.5

0.4

0.2 0.4

Q*=0.2

0
-1 -0.5 0 0.5 s 1

Fig. 3. Dimensionless relative velocity for some values of tangential force.

2582 V. Pauk, B. Zastrau / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 44 (2002) 2573 – 2584

0.004 0.01
T* Q*=0.2 T* Q*=0.4

0.008
0.003

Pe=100 Pe=100
0.006

0.002

500 0.004
500
0.001
1000 0.002 1000
5000
5000
0 0
-1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 s 3 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 s 3
(a) (b)

0.016 0.025
T* Q*=0.5 T* Q*=0.59

0.02
0.012
Pe=100 Pe=100

0.015

0.008
500
0.01
500

0.004 1000
1000
5000 0.005

5000
0 0
-1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 s 3 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 s 3
(c) (d)

Fig. 4. (a) Dimensionless surface temperature for Q∗ = 0:2 and some values of Peclet number; (b) dimensionless surface
temperature for Q∗ = 0:4 and some values of Peclet number; (c) dimensionless surface temperature for Q∗ = 0:5 and some
values of Peclet number; and (d) dimensionless surface temperature for Q∗ = 0:59 and some values of Peclet number.

Performing the numerical procedure described above for these values of input parameters it was
observed that the thermal deformation due to the frictional heating is small and the e5ect of these
parameters on the normal and tangential traction can be neglected.
 V. Pauk, B. Zastrau / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 44 (2002) 2573 – 2584 2583

0.008
T* Pe=1000
0.007

0.006
Q*=0.59
0.005

0.004

0.003
0.5

0.002 0.4

0.001
0.2

0
-1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 s 3

Fig. 5. Dimensionless surface temperature for Pe = 1000 and some values of tangential force.

The e5ect of the tangential load Q∗ on the distribution of shearing traction is presented in Fig. 2
and on the dimensionless relative tangential velocity between the contacting surfaces calculated by
formula (36) in Fig. 3. We notice that this velocity is equal to zero in the stick zone and is positive
in the slip zone.
It is also important to study the temperature generated by friction in the slip zone. The ef-
fects of the parameters Pe on the distribution of the temperature of the half-space boundary within
the dimensionless contact area are presented in Fig. 4a–d for four values of the tangential load
Q∗ . The dimensionless temperature is higher for small values of the Peclet number and for great
values of the tangential load, which is displayed in Fig. 5. We can observe a di5erence be-
tween the temperature distribution in the rolling problem and pure sliding problem [11]. This
di5erence is more evident for small values of the load Q∗ when the size of the slip zone is
small.
From Fig. 4c it can be derived that the maximal value of the dimensionless temperature for
Q∗ = 0:5, Pe = 5000 (V ≈ 25 m=s) is equal Tmax ∗ = 0:002. Recalculating the real temperature in the

accordance to the formula (49) we obtain Tmax = 272◦ C. This value of the generated temperature
is not suMcient for the thermally induced phase transformation of the rollers, but it can have great
inKuence on the friction coeMcient, and, as a result, on the creep curve, on the tangential traction,
etc. Note here, hat the proposed iterative procedure permits to consider the dependence of the
friction coeMcient with the temperature generated by micro-sliding in the slip zone. For the velocities
Pe = 10000 (V ≈ 50 m=s) and Pe = 15000 (V ≈ 75 m=s), the maximal temperature is equal about
420◦ C and 490◦ C, respectively.
2584 V. Pauk, B. Zastrau / International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 44 (2002) 2573 – 2584

6. Conclusions

A new formulation of the rolling contact problem involving frictional heating is proposed. This
formulation is more general than those published before [3–7], namely, the heating occurs only in
the slip zone, the relative velocity, normal and tangential tractions are unknown, they are calculated.
Generally speaking, we solved the coupled formulation of the problem.
The problem is treated by the integral equation methods. Performed calculations show small e5ects
of the heating on the thermal deformation. But the temperature arising due to micro-sliding is quite
high, which can have the great e5ect on the contact conditions.
Future investigation in this area will concentrate on the contact of two thermoconducted rollers
(in the papers [3–7] as well as in the present paper, the heat Kow rate partition factor is given,
but, generally, it depends on the physical properties of the rollers, process parameter, process pa-
rameters, etc.). Another important direction of future investigations is the rolling contact involving
a temperature dependent coeMcient of friction.

Acknowledgements

The Grst author is pleased to acknowledge the Gnancial support from Alexander von Humboldt
Foundation (Germany).

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