LAUSR

Abstract The effect of pre-impact waves on the coefficient of restitution (COR) in longitudinal impact of a uniform elastic rod on a linear elastic or bilinear inelastic spring supported by a fix rigid wall is studied. The spring models may represent the quasi-static response of, e.g., a small elastic cylinder or the inelastic bit-rock interaction in percussive drilling. The rod is accelerated to its impact momentum either by a force of relatively short duration which generates significant pre-impact waves in the rod (pre-impact wave case) or by a force of long duration which does not generate such waves (reference case). Analytical and numerical results based on the 1D wave equation are presented in dimensionless form. It is shown that the work performed by the accelerating force is much larger in the pre-impact wave case than in the reference case, and that the COR generally depends on spring stiffness, elasticity parameter, initial rod-spring separation, and wave transit time. In the pre-impact wave case, the COR may be significantly larger or smaller than in the reference case. It may also be significantly larger or smaller than unity. A pre-impact wave mechanism leading to super rebounds with COR up to 1.4261 is described.