Publications Details

A Novel Experimental Method for Measuring Coefficients of Restitution

Baca, Renee N.; Reu, P.L.; Aragon, Dannelle S.; Brake, M.R.W.; Foulk, James W.; Bejarano, Michael; Sumali, Hartono (Anton)

A novel, experimental method is presented for measuring the coefficient of restitution during impact events. These measurements are used to indirectly validate a new model of elastic-plastic contact. The experimental setup consists of a stainless steel sphere that is attached at the bottom of a 2.2 m long pendulum. The test materials are of the form of 1 inch diameter pucks that the sphere strikes over a range of velocities. Digital image correlation is used to measure the displacement and velocity of the ball. From this data the coefficient of restitution is calculated as a function of velocity. This report details the experimental setup, experimental process, the results acquired, as well as the future work.