A Critical Evaluation of the Flash-Temperature Concept

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Abstract
The “flash-temperature” concept is a means of accounting for the local maxima of frictional heat flux. This paper reviews how such maxima are often many times the apparent rubbing interface average hear flux. The physical and mathematical constraints on the flash-temperature concept are considered, along with the parametric sensitivities involved. In particular, a characteristic nondimensional rub time and nondimensional surface temperature are proposed to gauge the degree of flash-temperature effect in various rubbing configurations. As an aid to understanding the present result and a means of investigating this phenomenon further in the future, a computer program is documented which solves for nondimensional flash temperature vs time for an arbitrary set of uniform asperity sizes and spacing, rubbing-element material properties, and rub boundary conditions.