Application of the absolute-retardation method to the determination of steady-state dynamic contact stresses

The absolute-retardation method of stress analysis has been developed and extended to the measurement of steady-state dynamic contact-stress distributions in an elastohydrodynamic rolling contact. The method has been shown to be applicable to the plane-strain conditions appearing in such a contact, and many of the difficulties of the technique associated with the use of conventional interferometers have been eliminated by forming the absolute-retardation interferogram from reflections at the front and back surfaces of an optically plane parallel birefringent model using a laser light source. Some results illustrating the success and limitations of the technique in the study of the elastohydrodynamic problem are discussed.