A NONIDEAL CONTACT PROBLEM OF THERMOELASTICITY FOR TWO SOLIDS WITH A HEAT SOURCE

A generalized Hertz problem of thermoelastic solids in pressure, contacting over convex surfaces, has been discussed. At a certain moment of time a concentrated source of heat starts acting. Therefore the heat flux flowing through the region of contact is nonstationary. The problem considered is axially symmetric. The purpose is twofold: first the problem of thermoelasticity with time variation of temperature is taken into account; second the “paradox of a cooled sphere” has been investigated under time-dependent conditions. There is a possibility that the character of the boundary conditions can change in time. To obtain the solution we have applied the Laplace and Hankel integral transforms. The main point is to discuss the cases when the boundary conditions are such that the problem can be considered in terms of classical thermoelasticity and when the Barber-type boundary conditions have to be used. The solution has been obtained by means of a devised numerical algorithm such that the procedure is simplified. The results have been presented in diagram form suitable for discussion.