Numerical Analysis of Transition Processes in a Viscoelastic Hydrodynamic Contact during Reverse Motion

A problem about nonstationary contact of deformable elastic cylindrical bodies in the presence of thin viscoelastic coatings separated by a thin layer of lubricant liquid is considered. The Kelvin model for a viscoelastic medium with two relaxation times is used as a rheological model of the viscoelastic coating. Comparison of numerical solutions of the problems in the presence of viscoelastic coatings and in their absence for the case of reversive motion is presented. It is shown that viscoelasticity of the contacting bodies significantly impacts the distribution of pressure in the lubricant layer including the maximal pressure, which strongly influences the friction coefficient and weakly affects the minimal thickness of the lubricant layer.