STEEL BALLS

Reporter: Ali Farajollahi

IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

The Question
Colliding two large steel balls with
a thin sheet of material (e.g. paper)
in between may "burn" a hole in
the sheet.

Investigate this effect for various

materials.

IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Contents
Initial Observations
Theoretical background
Burning or Physical Rupture?
Material Background

Theory: The balls

Static loaded balls
Balls collision simulation

Theory: The sheet

Different strains

Experiments
Setup
Comparison with Theory
Different Materials & Behaviors

Conclusion

IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Initial Observations

IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Initial Observation
Burning

Waves

Radial rupture

Deformation

IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Initial Observation

Tissue

Aluminum
6

Styrofoam
IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Burning (Chemical) or
Rupture (Physical)?
Temperature rises because of sheet
deflection
Not enough energy to start flaming
Not enough Oxygen in the contact
point

Burning occurs incompletely, but

the burnt amount is too low
Main Happening: Physical Rupture

IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Material Strength Background

Stress & Strain

F

A
l

l

l
l

Poissons Ratio

x

y
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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Static Loaded Balls

To be able to simulate the
collision
Finding the deformation of two
steel balls under a specific load

IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Static Loaded Balls

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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Static Loaded Balls

According to references, Contact
mechanics and Hertz theory, the
force and shape of two steel balls
can be calculated as follows:
r : Distance between a plot and center of contact
: Maximum length of deformation
: Radius of contact
R : Half of the radius of the balls
E* : Youngs modulus
P0 : Pressure in the middle of contact
F : Force

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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Dynamic collision simulation

Simulating the system considering
to be quasi-static
F will be calculated as explained

F x
2 a
m t
2

Euler method was used

Updating
time

Updating
positions

Calculating
forces

Finding
acceleration
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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Different Strains
By assuming that the thickness of
sheet is negligible, we are able to
find different strains in the sheet.

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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Different Strains
After collision
Before collision

Before Collision

r
r+r

r
Maximum Collision

Top
Side
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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Tensile Stress

r
r+r

P0 : Initial perimeter
P1 : Perimeter after collision
r : Initial radius
r+r : Increased radius
x : Deformation through x-Axis
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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Two Kinds of Behaviors

Materials may rip because of
tensile or pressing stress
r

z: Pressing
y: Tensile

dx
r

dr
z

dr
z

x

z
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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Two Kinds of Behaviors

Pressing stress

m/s
m/s

Critical Pressure

m/s
m/s

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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Two Kinds of Behaviors

Tensile stress

m/s
m/s

m/s

18

Critical Pressure

IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Experimental Setup
Holding the balls

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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Experimental Setup
Using two electronic magnets to hold and release the balls on time

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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Experiments
Changing the release height,
calculating the velocity
Scanning the holes, developing a
program with MATLAB to calculate
the area and radius of holes
Compare with theory

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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Experiments
Paper, thickness of 0.2mm

Released from different heights

5cm

22

10cm

15cm

20cm

30cm

40cm

IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Experiments
0.7

0.6

Hole Radius (cm)

0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0

23

10

15

20
25
Release Height (cm)

30

35

40

IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

45

Experiments

Paper thickness 0.1 mm

10cm

24

15cm

20cm

30cm

40cm

IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Experiments

Release Height (cm)

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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Experiments
Balsa Wood 2.5mm Thick

10cm

15cm

20cm

35cm
26

25cm

30cm

40cm
IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Experiments

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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Comparison with Theory

There are 2 main Causes,
Pressure Stress
Tensile Stress

Calibrating the Critical Stress in

Both Causes

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Theory Comparison
Paper 0.2 mm thick
The Maximum contact area is smaller than the
experiments radius

Velocity (m/s)
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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Theory Comparison
Paper
Tensile stress radius

Velocity (m/s)
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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Theory Comparison
Balsa Wood
Pressing Stress Radius

Velocity (m/s)
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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Theory Comparison
Balsa Wood
Tensile stress radius

Velocity (m/s)
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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

Conclusion
Most of the phenomena happens
because of stresses in the sheet
Burning is negligible in describing
the phenomena, although it exists.
Materials are different in the
stresses they stand
Paper is weak in tensile stress
Balsa wood is weak in pressing stress

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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

References
Mechanics of Materials, Egor P. Popov, 2nd
Edition, 1976.
Contact mechanics, K.L. Johnson, Cambridge
University press, 1985.
Halliday Fundamentals of physics, HallidayResnic-Walker, 1945.
A First Course in Numerical Analysis, Anthony
Ralston-Philip Rabinowitz, 2nd Edition, 2001.

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IYPT 2010 Austria, I. R. Iran

IYPT 2010 Austria,

IYPT
National
2010 Austria,
team of I. R. Iran