A free‐interface component mode synthesis of moving contact multibodies and its application to gear contacts

Abstract

AbstractMoving contact components are common in mechanical systems, and they exhibit a large rigid motion with linear‐elastic deflection under contact boundary conditions. The finite element method can capture local deformation and high gradient stresses, but finely meshed contact interfaces lead to numerous degrees of freedom. Model order reduction techniques for multibodies are effective, but moving contact interfaces also introduce multiple interface degrees of freedom. In the present method, the interface degrees of freedom are retained to ensure the accuracy of the local response induced by contacts, but the computational scale is not further enlarged. The motion of moving contact components is described by the floating frame of reference formulation. A free‐interface component mode synthesis method is proposed for model order reduction. Kept free‐interface normal modes represent global flexibility and residual modes accurately compensate for the local quasi‐static responses of omitted modes induced by contacts. The contribution of residual modes is represented by interface load coordinates, which can be directly evaluated by contact forces. The contacts are calculated with the present contact algorithm. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method are fully demonstrated through correlation with the finite element method in gear meshing simulations.