A Fractal Model of Acoustic Emission Signals in Sliding Friction

Acoustic emission (AE) technology has been applied in condition monitoring of mechanical systems. In this paper, in order to deepen theoretical understanding of the relation between AE signals and contact mechanisms, the principle of deformation is unified by a deformation ratio, then a scale-independent AE model of sliding friction is proposed based on the fractal theory. The new model considers a complete process of elastic-plastic deformation. Influences of the sliding velocity and the normal load on the AE signal in different fractal circumstances are specified. By theoretical and experimental comparisons, the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed model are demonstrated. The work offers a theoretical basis for future studies and applications of AE technology on tribological problems.