Energy Losses of Balls Rolling on Plates

Abstract

The apparatus for measuring the rolling force of a ball supported between two plates is described. The rolling force is an extremely small quantity compared to the normal force. Instantaneous values of the rolling force vary greatly from point to point on the sample surface and this variation is explained in terms of surface roughness and material homogeneity. The energy losses of balls rolling on plates are shown as functions of load, material, and surface roughness. The rolling of a ball on a plate is examined as a cyclic process in which elastic hysteresis losses appear to be the primary source of energy dissipation. An analysis involving the Hertzian contact stress field is used to derive an equation relating the rolling force and the material damping capacity.