Volumetric Contact Dynamics Models and Experimental Validation of Normal Forces for Simple Geometries Available to Purchase

A volumetric contact dynamics model has been proposed for the purpose of generating reliable and rapid simulations of contact dynamics. Forces and moments between bodies in contact can be expressed in terms of the volume of interference between the undeformed geometries. This allows for the modelling of contact between complex geometries and relatively large contact surfaces, while being computationally less expensive than finite element methods. However, the volumetric model requires experimental validation. Models for simple geometries in contact have been developed for stationary and dynamic contact; an apparatus has been developed to experimentally validate these models. This paper focuses on validation of the normal contact models. Measurements of forces and displacements will be used to identify the parameters related to the normal force, i.e. the volumetric stiffness and hysteretic damping factor for metallic surfaces. The experimental measurements are compared with simulated results to assess the validity of the volumetric model.