Date of Award

3-10-2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering

Department

Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

First Advisor

Anthony N. Palazotto, PhD

Abstract

The goal of this research is to study sliding contact wear of test sled slippers at high velocities. Experimentation representative of the slippers is infeasible, so numerical studies are used. An Eulerian-Lagrangian hydrocode called CTH is used to study mechanical wear. Failure criteria have been established to evaluate the stresses and strains resulting from the hydrocode simulation of a single asperity collision. The results from the hydrocode simulations are scaled to account for slipper bounce and multiple asperities, and these results produce total wear values that are approximately 90% of total experimental wear. Slipper thermodynamics have also been evaluated. The fraction of frictional heating energy entering the slipper has been evaluated, and an average value of approximately 0.125 has been determined. Total wear for a slipper reaching 3,000 m/s and following a typical slipper velocity profile has been evaluated to range from 3 to 6% of the total slipper volume.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GAE-ENY-10-M16

DTIC Accession Number

ADA517645

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