Oscillations Caused by Solid Friction in a System with Rolling Contact

Abstract

This paper concerns theoretically and experimentally self-excited oscillations caused by solid friction in a system with rolling contact. A cylinder rolling without slippage on a curved surface of a rotating disc is connected to a spring and can oscillate around the axis of the disc under the application of spring force and solid friction between rolling contact surfaces. Theoretically it is pointed out that self-excited oscillations can occur in such a system when rolling friction is expressed as a function of relative rolling velocities between two solid bodies. Also in the experiment, rolling friction is observed to vary with the relative rolling velocities and it is ascertained that oscillations obtained in surfaces of the dry friction state are self-excited oscillations caused by rolling friction. Moreover, experimental results on the behavior of the cylinder under the lubricated surfaces are shown in several figures.