Contact force models for multibody dynamics

Abstract

In this book, several compliant contact force models are analyzed within the context of multibody dynamics, in which the main issues associated with the fundamental contact mechanics are also revisited. In particular, various contact force models from linear to nonlinear, purely elastic to dissipative contact force models are presented and their parameters are described. The different numerical methods and algorithms dealing with contact problems in multibody systems are presented and discussed. In present work, the gross motion of multibody systems is described by using a two-dimensional formulation based on the absolute coordinates and the contact-impact events are represented by different contact models. Results for some planar multibody mechanical systems are presented and utilized to discuss the main assumptions and procedures adopted throughout this work. The material provided here indicates that the prediction of the dynamic behavior of mechanical systems involving contact-impact strongly depends on the selection of the contact force model. Overall, this book is aimed to provide a collective source for the multibody dynamics community and beyond on modeling contact forces and dynamics of mechanical systems undergoing contact-impact events.