Numerical simulation methods in tribology

We presented a general structure of a possible reduced description of classical macroscopic tribological systems, which should make it possible to simulate the friction and wear of real systems, taking into account a large variety of relevant processes and space scales, including the contact mechanics and hydrodynamics at macro and meso scales as well as inelastic processes, detachment of particles and their reintegration into the surfaces at the nanoscale. The main features of this reduced description are reduction in the dimensionality of the elastic contact problem from three to one and substitution of the complete hydrodynamics by distance- and velocity-depending surface forces as well as simulation of inelastic surface processes as stochastic deposition and diffusion along the surface. The processes on the nanoscale are simulated with the method of Movable Cellular Automata. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.