Numerical simulation of thermomechanical rolling contact using an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian formulation

Licentiatavhandling, 2011

In the endeavour to further the understanding of thermomechanical rolling contact, numerical simulations serve as an important complement to laboratory and full-scale testing. In the development of numerical simulation methods, the challenge is to enhance predictive capabilities while keeping computational efforts reasonable. To this end, a theoretical and computational framework has been established with the aim to minimize limitations of simplified models, while being sufficiently numerically efficient for operational use. Here, thermomechanically coupled rolling contact is expressed in an Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) kinematical description, which enables a linearization of the mechanical response, a compact computational domain and a simplified description of time-dependent problems (as an example, stationary rolling can in this context be treated as time-independent). Furthermore, contact regions are stationary throughout the rolling motion, enabling employment of localized mesh refinement. The challenges of the adopted formulation include the need to handle non-conventional boundary conditions and numerical stability issues due to convective effects. The thesis details how these issues have been addressed. Simulations of operational load cases and parametric studies verify the model to be robust and computationally efficient in analyzing transient, non-smooth rolling contact as well as stationary thermomechanical rolling contact. Furthermore, computational measures such as the use of non-reflecting boundary conditions and numerical stabilization schemes are shown to be successful in addressing complications associated with the convective ALE formulation. Obtained results are qualitatively validated towards similar analyses in the literature.