Finite Element Analysis of Pin-on-Disc Tribology Test

The main objective of this work was to evaluate the state of stress and strain in Pin-on-Disc (POD) tribology test setup with of 316LN austenitic stainless steel as the tribo elements under self-mated conditions using finite element method (FEM). Type 316LN stainless steel is a major core and structural material in the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR. In PFBR there are many in-core and out-of-core component involving contact pairs of 316LN stainless steel and undergoing sliding wear during operation as well as maintenance. Estimation of wear during operation of the machine would lead to developing appropriate wear mitigation approaches. However, measurement of in-situ wear in machine components is very difficult, if not impossible. Finite element method (FEM) based numerical modeling of machine operation with appropriate wear models would enable estimation of wear a-priori. As accuracy of calculated wear values strongly depends on the state of stress and strain in the components, accurate modelling of the state of stress and strain is essential.