Model for determining the lifetime of a connector subjected to fretting corrosion

Vibrations applied to a connector and the resulting fretting is a major cause of electrical system failure. In order to qualify the endurance of a connector, failure tests are performed by subjecting an entire connector (terminal, housing and cable) to a given vibration profile and measuring its lifetime, i.e., the time before an increase in contact resistance exceeds a given value.As this lifetime is related to the relative movements of the male and female parts of the terminal, studies have been carried out to quantify the parameters, essentially the minimum value of the relative displacement of the two parts of the terminal, leading to fretting.Furthermore, models, such as Archard's, are also used to quantify the lifetime as a function of the amplitude of the vibration.We propose to bring together these different approaches to estimate the lifetime of an entire connector subjected to a vibration profile, taking into account the response to the vibration of the connector, its consequences on the relative displacements of the two parts of the terminal and finally the effect of this vibration on the lifetime of the connector.