Validation of Nonlinear Viscoelastic Contact Force Models for Low Speed Impact

Compliant contact force modeling has become a popular approach for contact and impact dynamics simulation of multibody systems. In this area, the nonlinear viscoelastic contact force model developed by Hunt and Crossley (1975, “Coefficient of Restitution Interpreted as Damping in Vibroimpact,” ASME J. Appl. Mech., 42, pp. 440–445) over 2 decades ago has become a trademark with applications of the model ranging from intermittent dynamics of mechanisms to engagement dynamics of helicopter rotors and implementations in commercial multibody dynamics simulators. The distinguishing feature of this model is that it employs a nonlinear damping term to model the energy dissipation during contact, where the damping coefficient is related to the coefficient of restitution. Since its conception, the model prompted several investigations on how to evaluate the damping coefficient, in turn resulting in several variations on the original Hunt–Crossley model. In this paper, the authors aim to experimentally validate the Hunt–Crossley type of contact force models and furthermore to compare the experimental results to the model predictions obtained with different values of the damping coefficient. This paper reports our findings from the sphere to flat impact experiments, conducted for a range of initial impacting velocities using a pendulum test rig. The unique features of this investigation are that the impact forces are deduced from the acceleration measurements of the impacting body, and the experiments are conducted with specimens of different yield strengths. The experimental forces are compared with those predicted from the contact dynamics simulation of the experimental scenario. The experiments, in addition to generating novel impact measurements, provide a number of insights into both the study of impact and the impact response.