A review and detailed examination of non-layered conformal contact by finite element analysis

This is the first of two papers concerned with conformal contact and consid ers the fundamental conditions arising in non-layered configurations. This work was part of a research programme concerned with the development of a w ater-lubricated axial piston pump, in which the combination of contacting m aterials and contact conditions are critical. Finite element analysis was u sed to study cylindrical and spherical conformal contacts, with the models being validated by comparison with known analytical solutions. The models a re shown to be extremely accurate and both types of contact are thoroughly investigated in this paper. The same models are then developed further to e xamine the contact conditions in conformal layered contacts, which to date has received very little attention, and this is the subject of the second p aper.