Analytical investigation of steady-state stability and Hopf-bifurcations occurring in sliding friction oscillators with application to low-frequency disc brake noise (Q850097)

The authors discuss the title problem in considerable detail. For a model, they use the simple friction oscillator (mass-on-a-belt) with the friction coefficient dependent upon the relative velocity of the sliding members. It is stated that the transition between stability and instability is more complex than that obtained via classic stability analyses. It is found that the simple model produces results in agreement with experimental data. It is suggested that decaying friction may be a mechanism for initiating and sustaining coupled oscillations in brake assemblies. The paper is lucid and carefully written. It should be of interest and use to both theoreticians and practitioners working with noise and nonlinear vibrations.