Friction-Induced Vibration by Stribeck’s Law: Application to Wiper Blade Squeal Noise

This paper is concerned with the squeal noise of a wiper/windscreen contact. It is shown that squeal noise stems from friction-induced self-excited vibrations in the context of Stribeck’s law for friction coefficient. The study is specifically focussed on the instability range of velocities and not on the amplitude of limit cycles. The studied dynamic system consists of a single degree-of-freedom mass-spring-damper oscillator submitted to a velocity-dependent frictional force which follows the Stribeck law. The local stability is analyzed by the first Lyapunov method and results in a stability criterion. Experiments have been performed on a glass/elastomer contact lubricated with water. The tribometer ‘LUG’ provides measurements of the vibrational velocity and friction force versus sliding speed. It is found that the instability appears during the transition between boundary and elastohydrodynamic regimes where the negative gradient of the friction versus velocity curve is steep. The apparition and vanishing of instability are correctly predicted by the steady-state stability criterion.