The Tribomechadynamics Conference is hosted at Rice University every odd year as the conclusion of the summer of Tribomechadynamics. The Tribomechadynamics Conference is organized into four tracks:
- Tribology
- Contact Mechanics
- Structural/Nonlinear Dynamics
- Multidisciplinary Research
The fourth track, multidisciplinary research, is intended to highlight research projects that span Tribology, Contact Mechanics, and Dynamics (i.e. research that can be categorized as Tribomechadynamics). While the major thrust of the conference comes from the study of interfaces and jointed structures, all researchers in these fields are welcome to and encouraged to submit an abstract and to attend.
Conference Schedule
The complete agenda can be found here.
Senior Keynote
“Multiphysics Modeling of the Resistance across Rough Lubricated Contacts” by Rob Jackson of Auburn University
The aerospace, automotive, power generation, manufacturing, and biomedical industries all depend upon the reliable performance of contacts between components. Typical electrical and thermal contacts induce added resistance due to the roughness-reduced contact area and surface contamination. Lubricants are often used in these contacts to reduce friction and wear, but can result in added electrical and thermal resistance. Under sliding and vibratory conditions, contacts are prone to arc erosion and surface wear. At small lubricant film thicknesses, the surface roughness affects both the lubricant flow and solid contact. Therefore numerical models of mixed-lubrication cases must incorporate coupled electrical, thermal solid and fluid mechanics solutions. These models must also include the effect of micro and sometimes nano-scale roughness. Then the considered geometry spans several difference scales. However, if researchers can overcome these obstacles the resulting numerical models prove their worth as powerful analytical and predictive tools.
Robert L. Jackson is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Auburn University. Prof. Jackson’s research interests include contact mechanics, hydrodynamic lubrication, lubricant additives, electrical contacts, and machine component design. In 2012, Prof. Jackson also initiated one of the first undergraduate minors in the field of Tribology. He is an ASME and STLE Fellow and is the Chair for the 2022 STLE Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL.
Junior Keynote
“Mechanics of Loosening Bolts and Reduced-order Modeling” by Keegan Moore of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
An EQ-4B Global Hawk, one of the United States’ most advanced and expensive unmanned aerial vehicles, lost stability and crashed in 2011 because a single screw loosened. The rotational loosening of screws and bolts during operation often results in catastrophic failure, as evidenced by the 2013 Brétigny-sur-Orge train crash in Paris that resulted in seven deaths and 32 injuries. Damage, injuries, and fatalities due to the loosening of bolted joints are not limited to such dramatic events. A 2017 survey of 103 public playgrounds found that nearly 30 % of playgrounds surveyed contained loose fasteners and presented a danger to children. Although loosening has been studied since the industrial revolution, our current understanding has only evolved over the past five decades and modeling this behavior has only arisen in past two decades. This talk will cover this understanding, the gaps in it, and limitations in conventional methods followed by recent progress on reduced order modeling the mechanics of bolted joint loosening. The proposed approach is applied to model the loosening of axially aligned threaded joints in systems composed of axial rods. The results reveal that joints can interact dynamically with each other, such that the loosening of one joint alters the evolution of another. The talk concludes with a discussion of our ongoing work for modeling the loosening of bolts in lap joints.
Keegan J. Moore is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical and Materials Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 2018 and his B.Sc. from the University of Akron in 2014. He is an expert in nonlinear dynamics and vibrations and his research lies at intersection of theory, simulation, and measurements. His recent work focuses on novel system identification methods, non-reciprocity and energy guiding in nonlinear structures, and the mechanics of loosening of bolts. He is the recipient of the 2022 AFOSR Young Investigator Award and the 2023 NSF CAREER Award.
Special Sessions/Activities
There will be several special discussion sessions at this year’s conference. The first will be an industry-centric panel on “What keeps industry up at night: upcoming challenges in jointed structures. The second will be a debate focused on the meaning and usefulness of backbone curves for nonlinear system identification applied to structures. Discussion of opposing views will be moderated to promote a healthy, interactive experience.
Additionally, the winner of the student paper competition will be announced on Thursday, August 3rd, and a special student competition will be held that evening focused on exploiting AI tools to generate research documents.
Abstract Submission
Abstract submissions are now open. Please click here to proceed.
Important Dates
The important dates for the conference are, tentatively:
Abstracts due May 1st, 2023
Acceptance notification by May 15th, 2023
Extended Abstracts due July 17th, 2023 (non-student paper competition submissions)
Full Papers due July 3rd, 2023 (student paper competition submissions)
Registration deadline (for the advanced registration rate) is July 24th, 2023
Conference dates are August 2nd through 4th, 2023.
Abstract/Paper Formatting
There is no required format for the extended abstracts or student competition papers. Please submit these as PDFs.
Conference Venue
The Tribomechadynamics 2023 Conference will be held at Rice University in Houston, TX. An option for limited participation in the morning sessions will be made available for those that wish to observe remotely (all presentations must be in person though).
Proceedings
Extended abstracts will be made available to participants of the conference. In addition, we are working to have the top presentations and winners of the student paper competition published in a special issue of a journal.
Student Paper Competition
All papers with a student as the first author are eligible for the student paper competition. The winning entries (as judged by a panel of reviewers in advance of the conference) will be asked to give the student keynote as their presentation during the conference. More information will be made available soon.