Heat partitioning coefficient calculations for sliding contacts with friction

In a sliding contact with a high Peclet number, frictional heat is partitioned between the contacting surfaces and depends heavily on the geometry, the thermo-physical properties of the contacting materials, and contact conditions. In this investigation, comparisons are made between contact temperatures and heat partitioning coefficients computed according to the analyses of Challen and Dowson and Harpavat. In the Challen and Dowson analysis, the moving surface is treated as a half-space, with convective heat loss only from the stationary pad to the surroundings. In the Harpavat analysis, the moving surface has finite thickness, and both the moving surface and stationary pad transfer heat via convection. Several cases are examined and a comparison of the results from the two models is made. The analyses are useful for designers, particularly those facing thermal management challenges in sliding contacts, and for tribological testing, where an accurate contact temperature estimate and partitioning coefficient are necessary to interpret the results for temperature-sensitive materials such as polymers and polymer composites.