Published Resources Details
Journal Article
- Title
- The applications of fractals to the morphological description of particles generated in tribological systems
- In
- Transactions of the Institution of Engineers, Australia: Mechanical Engineering
- Imprint
- vol. ME16, no. 4, Dec 1991, pp. 279-293
- ISBN/ISSN
- 0727-7369
- Description
Paper M91226.
The authors, Bret Kirk and Gwidon Stachowiak, were both affiliated with the University of Western Australia.
[This paper was awarded the George Julius Medal 1991]
- Abstract
Fractal analysis is a new method for the characterization of chaotic data. Fractal analysis is gradually finding many applications in tribology due to the chaotic nature of wear processes, surface interactions and material structures. In this paper the potential applications of fractal analysis in tribology are shown, with a particular emphasis on the numerical characterization of wear particles found in mechanical and biological systems. The morphological description of wear particles found in operating machinery by fractal parameters can further be utilised in automated machine condition monitoring systems. The study of wear particles from human joints may advance research into wear anomalies in joints (i.e. arthritis) and provide a new means of diagnosis and prognosis of arthritic diseases. Fractal analysis could also be applied to characterise the oil contaminants found in unused lubricating oils, especially for critical applications.