Contact Force Models for Multibody Dynamics

This book analyzes severalcompliant contact force models within the context of multibody dynamics, whilealso revisiting the main issues associated with fundamental contact mechanics. In particular, it presents various contact force models, from linear tononlinear, from purely elastic to dissipative, and describes their parameters. Addressing the different numerical methods and algorithms for contact problemsin multibody systems, the book describes the gross motion of multibody systemsby using a two-dimensional formulation based on the absolute coordinates andemploys different contact models to represent contact-impact events. Resultsfor selected planar multibody mechanical systems are presented and utilized todiscuss the main assumptions and procedures adopted throughout this work. Thematerial provided here indicates that the prediction of the dynamic behavior ofmechanical systems involving contact-impact strongly depends on the choice ofcontact force model. In short, the book provides a comprehensive resource forthe multibody dynamics community and beyond on modeling contact forces and thedynamics of mechanical systems undergoing contact-impact events.