On Temperature Transients at Sliding Interface

Abstract

A simple stochastic model of interface temperature of solids in sliding contact, introduced earlier, has been extended. An experimental investigation has also been carried out, the result of which seems to lend credence to the theoretical model. The model led to the observation that, statistically, there are two temperatures at the interface, both being transients. The first is the average over the geometric contact area at all times, the temperature that is most likely to be measured by dynamic thermocouple method. The second is the time and space average over the instantaneous contacts. It is suggested that, as often as not, it is the latter which should be the reference temperature level upon which activities at the interface depend.