Two aggregate-function-based algorithms for analysis of 3D frictional contact by linear complementarity problem formulation

Three dimensional frictional contact is formulated as linear complementarity problem (LCP) by using the parametric variational principle and quadratic programming method. Two aggregate-function-based algorithms, called respectively as self-adjusting interior point algorithm and aggregate function smoothing algorithm, are proposed for the solution of the LCP derived from the contact problems. A nonlinear finite element code is developed for numerical analysis of 3D multi-body contact problems. Four numerical examples are computed to demonstrate the applicability and computational efficiency of the methods proposed.     

Modeling and simulation of the nonsmooth planar rigid multibody systems with frictional translational joints

The main purpose of this paper is to present a modeling and simulation method for the rigid multibody system with frictional translational joints. The small clearance between a slider and guide is considered. The geometric constraints of the translational joints are treated as bilateral constraints and the impacts between sliders and guides are neglected when the clearance sizes of the translational joints are very small. The contact situations of the normal forces acting on the sliders are described by inequalities and complementarity conditions, while the frictional contacts are characterized by a set-valued force law of the type of Coulomb’s law for dry friction. The dynamic equations of the multibody systems with normal and tangential contact forces are written on the acceleration-force level using the Lagrange multiplier technique. The problem of the transitions of the contact situation of the normal forces acting on sliders and the transitions of the stick-slip of the sliders in the system is formulated as a horizontal linear complementarity problem (HLCP), which is solved by event-driven method. Baumgarte’s stabilization method is used to decrease the constraint drift. Finally, two typical mechanisms are considered as demonstrative application examples. The numerical results obtained show some dynamical behaviors of the systems with frictional translational joints and constraint stabilization effect.     

On the adaptive finite element method of steady-state rolling contact for hyperelasticity in finite deformations

In this paper, we present an adaptive finite element method for steady-state rolling contact in finite deformations along with a residual based a posteriori error estimator for rolling contact problem with Coulomb friction. A general formulation of rolling contact geometry is derived from the point of view of differential geometry. Solvability conditions for the rolling contact problems are discussed. We use Newton's method to solve variational equations derived from a penalty regularization of the finite element approximation of the rolling contact problem. We provide a numerical example to illustrate the method.     

Study of variational inequality and equality formulations for elastostatic frictional contact problems

Summary An overview ofvariational inequality andvariational equality formulations for frictionless contact and frictional contact problems is provided. The aim is to discuss the state-of-the-art in these two formulations and clearly point out their advantages and disadvantages in terms of mathematical completeness and practicality. Various terms required to describe the contact configuration are defined.Unilateral contact law and classical Coulomb’s friction law are given.Elastostatic frictional contact boundary value problem is defined. General two-dimensional frictionless and frictional contact formulations for elastostatic problems are investigated. An example problem of a two bar truss-rigid wall frictionless contact system is formulated as an optimization problem based on the variational inequality approach. The problem is solved in a closed form using the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) optimality conditions. The example problem is also formulated as a frictional contact system. It is solved in the closed form using a new two-phase analytical procedure. The procedure avoids use of the incremental/iterative techniques and user defined parameters required in a typical implementation based on the variational equality formulation. Numerical solutions for the frictionless and frictional contact problems are compared with the results obtained by using a general-purpose finite element program ANSYS (that uses variational equality formulation). ANSYS results match reasonably well with the solutions of KKT optimality conditions for the frictionless contact problem and the two-phase procedure for the frictional contact problem. The validity of the analytical formulation for frictional contact problems (with one contacting node) is verified. Thevariational equality formulation for frictionless and frictional, contact problems is also studied in detail. The incremental/iterative Newton-Raphson scheme incorporating the penalty approach is utilized. Studies are conducted to provide insights for the numerical solution techniques. Based on the present study it is concluded that alternate formulations and computational procedures need to be developed for analysis of frictional contact problems.     

An analysis of metal forming processes using large deformation elastic-plastic formulations

A concise survey of the literature related to the large deformation elasto-plasticity problems including unilateral contact and friction is presented together with an extension of the friction law for large deformation analysis.Starting from the principle of virtual work, the so-called total Lagrangian and updated Lagrangian formulations are derived based on some fundamental assumptions in linearizing the nonlinear equations. By introducing the Zaremba-Jaumann (co-rotational) increment to the Cauchy stress tensor, the classical Prandtl-Reuss equations are generalized for describing the elastic-plastic material behavior. To allow a proper consideration of the contact conditions in the incremental analysis, a general friction law with an associated isotropic Coulomb sliding rule is obtained by the similarity between dry friction and plasticity. Finite element discretizations and approximations are applied to the resulting formulation of the updated Lagrangian approach.Four example problems are solved to test the formulations developed in this paper. The emphasis is made toward the numerical accuracy of the finite element solutions.     

Kinetic quasi-velocities in unilaterally constrained Lagrangian mechanics with impacts and friction

Quasi-velocities computed with the kinetic metric of a Lagrangian system are introduced, and the quasi-Lagrange equations are derived with and without friction. This is shown to be very well suited to systems subject to unilateral constraints (hence varying topology) and impacts. Energetical consistency of a generalized kinematic impact law is carefully studied, both in the frictionless and the frictional cases. Some results concerning the existence and uniqueness of solutions to the so-called contact linear complementarity problem, when friction is present, are provided.     

The contact problem in Lagrangian systems subject to bilateral and unilateral constraints,with or without sliding Coulomb’s friction: a tutorial

This work deals with the existence and uniqueness of the acceleration and contact forces for Lagrangian systems subject to bilateral and/or unilateral constraints with or without sliding Coulomb’s friction. Sliding friction is known to yield singularities in the system, such as Painlevé’s paradox. Our work aims at providing sufficient conditions on the parameters of the system so that singularities are avoided (i.e., the contact problem is at least solvable). To this end, the frictional problem is treated as a perturbation of the frictionless case. We provide explicit criteria, in the form of calculable upper bounds on the friction coefficients, under which the frictional contact problem is guaranteed to remain well-posed. Complementarity problems, variational inequalities, quadratic programs and inclusions in normal cones are central tools.     

Nonlinear equation approach for inequality elastostatics: a two-dimensional BEM implementation

The numerical solution of variational inequality problems in elastostatics is investigated by means of recently proposed equivalent nonlinear equations. Symmetric and nonsymmetric variational inequalities and linear or nonlinear, but monotone, complementarity problems can be solved this way without explicit use of nonsmooth (nondifferentiable) solvers. As a model application, two-dimentional unilateral contact problems with and without friction effects approximated by the boundary element method are formulated as nonsymmetric variational inequalities, or, for the two-dimensional case as linear complementarity problems, and are numerically solved. Performance comparisons using two standard, smooth, general purpose nonlinear equation solvers are included.     

Collapse load evaluation of structures with frictional contact supports under combined stresses

This paper extends classical limit analysis to structures for which some supports are subjected to “nonstandard” unilateral frictional contact with the ground. A typical and commonly adopted model is nonassociative Coulomb friction. For such cases, the use of the classical bound theorems is not possible. Moreover, simply solving the governing equations as a mixed complementarity problem (MCP) does not guarantee that the best bound has been calculated. We have therefore developed an approach that attempts to compute, in a single step, the critical (least) upper bound solution by formulating and solving an instance of the challenging class of optimization problems, known as a mathematical program with equilibrium constraints (MPEC). Two examples are provided to illustrate application of the proposed scheme, as well as to highlight some key features of such structures.     

A differential approach for modeling revolute clearance joints in planar rigid multibody systems

A non-penetration approach of frictional contact analysis is presented for modeling revolute clearance joints of planar rigid multibody systems. In the revolute clearance joint, the motion modes of the journal are divided into three categories, namely, the free motion, collision, and permanent contact modes. The switch between different contact modes is identified by the state of the journal and bearing, including the gap and the normal relative velocity. When impact in the revolute clearance joint is detected, the collision process is simulated by the impulse-based differential approach, where Stronge’s improved model for restitution is employed to determine the relative velocity after impact. Instead of algebraic equations, the impact process is described by a set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), which avoids solving complementarity problems. Moreover, in the permanent contact mode, the constraint-based approach and modified Coulomb’s friction law are adopted. The permanent contact mode maintains for most of the time and the governing ODEs are non-stiff. There is general agreement that the constraint-based approach is more efficient than the force-based method. A slider–crank mechanism with a revolute clearance joint is considered as a demonstrative application example where the comparison with the continuous contact force model is investigated.     

Surface Smoothing Procedures in Computational Contact Mechanics

This work addresses the problems arising in the finite element simulation of contact problems undergoing large deformation. The frictional contact problem is formulated in the continuum framework, introducing the interface laws for the normal and tangential stress components in the contact area. The variational formulation is presented, considering different methods to enforce the contact constraints. The spatial discretization within the finite element method is applied, as well as the temporal discretization required to solve the three sources of nonlinearities: geometric, material and frictional contact. The discretization of contact surfaces is discussed in detail, including different surface smoothing procedures. This numerical strategy allows to solve the difficulties associated with the discontinuities in the contact surface geometry introduced by finite element discretization, which leads to nonphysical oscillations of the contact force for large sliding problems. The geometrical accuracy of different interpolation methods is evaluated, paying particular attention to the Nagata patch interpolation recently proposed. In this framework, the Node-to-Nagata contact elements are developed using the augmented Lagrangian method to regularize the variational frictional contact problem. The techniques used to search for contact in case of large deformations are discussed, including self-contact phenomena. Several numerical examples are presented, comprising both the contact between deformable and rigid obstacles and the contact between deformable bodies. The results show that the accuracy and robustness of the numerical simulations is improved when the contact surface is smoothed with Nagata patches.     

A mortar-based frictional contact formulation for large deformations using Lagrange multipliers

In this work a Lagrange multiplier method is proposed to solve 2D Coulomb frictional contact problems in the context of large deformations. As the proposed formulation is based on the mortar method, the constraints are imposed in a weak integral sense along the contact surface. In order to compute the contact integrals, we use a numerical integration based on the definition of the kinematical variables (gap, slip and their variations) at the quadrature points. The linearization of non-linear equations (virtual work and contact constraints) is developed in order to apply a Newton’s method. The examples show that the numerical integration still preserves the optimal rate of convergence of the finite element solution.     

Enumeration of all wedged equilibrium configurations in contact problem with Coulomb friction

For a linear structure subjected to the unilateral contact condition with a fixed obstacle, we refer to a nontrivial equilibrium state as a wedged configuration. Finding a wedged configuration is called a wedging problem. This paper discusses theoretical properties of solution set of the finite-dimensional wedging problem with the Coulomb friction, and presents numerical methods for computing all the wedged configurations. We propose algorithms for enumerating all the finitely many representative solutions, with which we can completely describe the solution set of the wedging problem. There exists a positive critical friction coefficient defined as the minimum value of friction coefficient with which at least one wedged configuration exists. We also propose an algorithm for computing the critical friction coefficient, which is based on the bisection method and the second-order cone program.     

An extended finite element method for modeling crack growth with frictional contact

A new technique for the finite element modeling of crack growth with frictional contact on the crack faces is presented. The eXtended Finite Element Method (X-FEM) is used to discretize the equations, allowing for the modeling of cracks whose geometry are independent of the finite element mesh. This method greatly facilitates the simulation of a growing crack, as no remeshing of the domain is required. The conditions which describe frictional contact are formulated as a non-smooth constitutive law on the interface formed by the crack faces, and the iterative scheme implemented in the LATIN method [Nonlinear Computational Structural Mechanics, Springer, New York, 1998] is applied to resolve the nonlinear boundary value problem. The essential features of the iterative strategy and the X-FEM are reviewed, and the modifications necessary to integrate the constitutive law on the interface are presented. Several benchmark problems are solved to illustrate the robustness of the method and to examine convergence. The method is then applied to simulate crack growth when there is frictional contact on the crack faces, and the results are compared to both analytical and experimental results.     

A weighted residual relationship for the contact problem with Coulomb friction

In this work, a weighted residual relationship is proposed as an extension of the standard virtual work principle to deal with the large deformation contact problem with Coulomb friction. This weak form is a mixed relationship involving the displacements and the multipliers defined on the reference contact surface of the contactor and is shown to be equivalent to the strong form of the initial/boundary value contact problem. The discretization in space by means of the finite element method is carried out on the mixed relationship in a simple way in order to obtain the semi-discrete equation system. The contact tangent stiffness is derived and numerical examples are presented to assess the efficiency of the formulation.     

Automating the Finite Element Method

The finite element method can be viewed as a machine that automates the discretization of differential equations, taking as input a variational problem, a finite element and a mesh, and producing as output a system of discrete equations. However, the generality of the framework provided by the finite element method is seldom reflected in implementations (realizations), which are often specialized and can handle only a small set of variational problems and finite elements (but are typically parametrized over the choice of mesh). This paper reviews ongoing research in the direction of a complete automation of the finite element method. In particular, this work discusses algorithms for the efficient and automatic computation of a system of discrete equations from a given variational problem, finite element and mesh. It is demonstrated that by automatically generating and compiling efficient low-level code, it is possible to parametrize a finite element code over variational problem and finite element in addition to the mesh.     

An automatic incrementation technique for contact problems with friction

A numerical method for analysis of elastostatic contact problems with friction has been developed. This class of problems are load history dependent because of the irreversible nature of frictional forces. An automatic incrementation technique of the applied load has been developed and implemented in the algorithm. The method is a direct method based on an iterative procedure applied to a set of linear equations established with the finite element method. The size of the applied load increments, automatically chosen by the algorithm, is in general influenced both by the nature of the problem and of the discretization of the bodies involved. The frictional forces occurring in the slip zone of the contact area are treated as known tangential forces calculated from the normal forces in the previous iteration. This piecewise linear treatment of the frictional contact problem requires an innermost iteration loop over the applied tangential force.The tangential force must coincide with the coefficient of friction times the normal force obtained in the last iteration, otherwise a new tangential force has to be calculated and the system of equations must be solved for a new right hand side vector. The automatic incrementation technique is based on the fact that each iteration is a linear problem. A tentative load increment is used in the solution of a certain iteration. A linear scaling of this solution is performed afterwards. A load scale factor is calculated in each contact node pair where a change of contact condition will occur. The change in contact status corresponding to the node pair with the smallest load scale factor is the only change which is accomplished in a certain iteration. The uniqueness of this kind of contact problem with friction has not been mathematically proven for a general case.The method has been applied to a case of loading and unloading of an elastic halfspace by a rigid cylindrical stamp and compared to solutions by Spence and Turner.     

Dynamics of spatial flexible multibody systems with clearance and lubricated spherical joints

A computational methodology for analysis of spatial flexible multibody systems, considering the effects of the clearances and lubrication in the system spherical joints, is presented. The dry contact forces are evaluated through a Hertzian-based contact law, which includes a damping term representing the energy dissipation. The frictional forces are evaluated using a modified Coulomb’s friction law. In the case of lubricated joints, the resulting lubricant forces are derived from the corresponding Reynolds’ equation. An absolute nodal formulation is utilized in flexible body formulation. The generalized-α method is used to solve the resulting equations of motion. The effectiveness of the methodology is demonstrated by two numerical examples.     

An incremental mathematical programming model for solving multi-phase frictional contact problems

An incremental model is developed for the simulation of elasto-static multiphase frictional contact problems. The model employs a proposed local and nonlinear friction law, and exploits the incremental convex programming method in the framework of the finite element scheme. The proposed model accommodates the two types of inequality constraints which are representing non-interpenetration and slipping conditions.