A Finite Element Study of Elastic-Plastic Hemispherical Contact Behavior against a Rigid Flat under Varying Modulus of Elasticity and Sphere Radius

Prasanta Sahoo, Biplab Chatterjee

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DOI: 10.4236/eng.2010.24030                

Abstract

The present study considers a finite element analysis of elastic-plastic axi-symmetric hemispherical contact for a frictionless deformable sphere pressed by a rigid flat. The material of the sphere is modeled as elastic perfectly plastic. Analysis is carried out to study the effect of varying modulus of elasticity and sphere radius in wide range of dimensionless interference until the inception of plasticity as well as in plastic range. Results are compared with previous elastic-plastic models. It is found that materials with Young’s modulus to yield strength (E/Y) ratio less than and greater than 300 show strikingly different contact phenomena. The dependency of E on dimensionless interference at which the plastic region fully covers the surface is observed. However with different radius, finite element study exhibits similar elastic-plastic phenomena.

Keywords

Elastic-plastic Contact, Sphere against Flat, ANSYS, Modulus of Elasticity, Sphere Radius

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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