Enabling topography-resolving structural dynamic contact simulation

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Linder, Hendrik D., Najera-Flores, David A., Kuether, Robert J., Krack, Malte
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Linder, Hendrik D.
Najera-Flores, David A.
Kuether, Robert J.
Krack, Malte
author_facet Linder, Hendrik D.
Najera-Flores, David A.
Kuether, Robert J.
Krack, Malte
contents 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.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_26446
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Enabling topography-resolving structural dynamic contact simulation
Linder, Hendrik D.
Najera-Flores, David A.
Kuether, Robert J.
Krack, Malte
Computational Engineering, Finance, and Science
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.
title Enabling topography-resolving structural dynamic contact simulation
topic Computational Engineering, Finance, and Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.26446