Workshop on benchmark experiments in contact mechanics as applied to gas turbine engines held in west palm beach on 12-13 May 2002 final report, 1 Sep. 2001-31 Jul. 2002

An international workshop on benchmarks in contact mechanics and friction damping was held on the 12th and 13th of May in conjunction with the DoD sponsored HCP Conference in West Palm Beach, FL. The workshop was organized by Dr. J.H. Griffin, a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and Dr. E. Ewins, a Professor at Imperial College in London. The workshop was a follow-on to a workshop held last year. Its primary purpose was to define an appropriate set of benchmarks to provide a basis for direct comparison of existing methods and procedures as well as to provide reference test cases for future methods development. A secondary objective of the Workshop was to consider ways to move forward once these benchmarks have been defined. An announcement was distributed to potential participants, refer to Appendix 1: Announcement. The workshop was attended by both European and American experts from industry, universities and government agencies - see Appendix 2: List of participants. The first attempt to hold the follow-on meeting was delayed by the events of September 11, 2001 (the meeting was to have taken place in Pittsburge on 9/13) and as a result of the ensuing delay in rescheduling, some momentum was lost. Another feature that emerged in the period during which the benchmarking meeting was being rearranged was the idea of combining.