Study on single-cell contact model of thick-walled cellular solid

An analytical method was proposed by combining the classical Hertz theory with the method of an equivalent curved beam to investigate the contact mechanics of a thick-walled cellular solid. This method extended the range of applicability of Hertz theory and was applied to investigate the influence of porosity on the contact pressure and local stress distribution compared with finite element and experimental methods. The results show that the increase of the porosity had little effect on the maximum contact pressure and contact half-width under the given load. However, it resulted in a marked increase of the total radial displacement and local stress due to the bending deformation of the cell wall. Therefore, the improvement of contact fatigue life of cellular solids mainly depends on porosity and the corresponding change of subsurface stress distribution due to the influence of bending stress rather than contact deformation. The analytical contact mechanics solution for the thick-walled cellular solid examined is also applicable to some engineering applications, such as hollow cylinder in rolling elements bearings.