Testing system for dissipative mechanical phenomena

摘要

A method and apparatus is provided for testing dissipative mechanical phenomena, including fretting wear. An actuator (54) effects frictional oscillatory slip motion between a stylus (32) and a workpiece (30) in contact. A displacement transducer (62) detects the amplitude of the slip motion, and a control loop (60) responds to the displacement transducer controls the actuator to provide constant amplitude slip motion under changing frictional fretting wear conditions of the workpiece as the workpiece wears during the oscillatory slip motion. The oscillator is driven at its resonant frequency, and the power required to maintain constant amplitude slip motion at resonant frequency is monitored (64).