Enabling topography-resolving structural dynamic contact simulation

2026-03-27

AI Summary

This study addresses the high computational cost of conventional finite element (FE) dynamic simulations in modeling energy dissipation in frictional joints, which is critically dependent on the true multiscale topography of contact interfaces. To overcome this challenge, the authors propose a novel multiscale framework that couples coarse-grained FE models with fine-mesh boundary element (BE) methods based on half-space theory. For the first time, this FE-BE approach is extended from quasi-static to dynamic contact analysis, enabling long-duration transient simulations with large time steps, without artificial numerical damping and with mesh independence. The method seamlessly integrates both time-domain integration and harmonic balance techniques. Validation on an S4 beam benchmark demonstrates excellent agreement with full FE explicit and implicit solutions, confirming its robustness, while also uncovering load-history-dependent physical response differences under partial slip conditions.

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Abstract

Damping of structures and systems is often dominated by frictional dissipation in connections, the prediction of which remains a longstanding scientific challenge. Previous studies have shown that the actual topography of contact interfaces may have a strong effect on the dynamics of jointed structures. The multi-scale nature of manufactured surfaces makes finite element (FE) simulations computationally challenging or even infeasible, especially for long-duration transient dynamic simulations. We recently proposed a multi-scale method to enable topography resolving simulations. In that method, the contact region is modeled using half-space theory implemented on a fine grid of boundary elements (BE), whereas the underlying bodies are described using a relatively coarse FE model. So far, this FE-BE multi-scale method has been limited to quasi-static analysis. In the present work, we extend the method dynamic analysis, in the form of time integration and Harmonic Balance. As numerical benchmark system, the well-known S4 Beam is used, for which actual topography measurements are available. The proposed method demonstrates high robustness and efficiency, permits relatively large and mesh-independent time steps, and shows no evidence of numerical damping. The simulation results are in overall very good agreement with explicit and implicit full-FE analyses. In the partial slip regime, some discrepancy is found to be of physical origin: Depending on the load history, the system settles to a slightly different equilibrium, which is associated with a distinct residual contact stress field.

Problem

• topography-resolving
• structural dynamics
• frictional dissipation
• contact simulation
• multi-scale surfaces

Innovation

• multi-scale simulation
• topography-resolving contact
• FE-BE coupling
• dynamic frictional damping
• harmonic balance method