Over the last decades, several compliant contact force models have been proposed. However, no complete and systematic comparison has been done on these models, which provides information on their range of application and accuracy for use in different contact scenarios. Thus, the selection of an appropriate model for a given contact problem is still an important and challenging issue to be addressed. The Hertzian contact theory remains the foundation for almost all of the available force models, but by itself, it is not appropriate for most impacts in practice, due to the amount of energy dissipated during the impact. A good number of contact force models have been offered that augment the Hertzian law with a damping term to accommodate the energy loss during the impact process for small or moderate impact velocities. In this work, the main issues associated with the most common compliant contact force models of this type are analyzed. Results in terms of the dynamic simulations of multibody systems are presented, which allow for the comparison of the similarities and differences among the models considered.

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A new approach to model and analyze flexible spatial multibody systems with clearance of cylindrical joints is presented in this work. The flexible parts are modeled by using absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF)-based elements, while the rigid parts are described by employing the natural coordinate formulation (NCF), which can lead to a constant system mass matrix for the derived system equations of motion. In a simple way, a cylindrical joint with clearance is composed of two main elements, that is, a journal inside a bearing. Additionally, a lubricant fluid can exist between these two mechanical elements to reduce the friction and wear and increase the system's life. For the case in which the joint is modeled as a dry contact pair, a technique using a continuous approach for the evaluation of the contact force is applied, where the energy dissipation in the form of hysteresis damping is considered. Furthermore, the frictional forces developed in those contacts are evaluated by using a modified Coulomb's friction law. For the lubricated case, the hydrodynamic theory for dynamically loaded journal bearings is used to compute the forces generated by lubrication actions. The lubricated model is based on the Reynolds equation developed for the case of journal bearings with length-todiameter ratios up to 1. Using this approach, the misalignment of the journal inside the bearing can be studied. Finally, two demonstrative examples of application are used to provide results that support the discussion and show the validity of the proposed methodologies.

This paper presents and discusses the results obtained from a parametric study on the Baumgarte stabilization method for forward dynamics of constrained multibody systems. The main purpose of this work is to analyze the influence of the variables that affect the violation of constraints, chiefly the values of the Baumgarte parameters, the integration method, the time step, and the quality of the initial conditions for the positions. In the sequel of this process, the formulation of the rigid multibody systems is reviewed. The generalized Cartesian coordinates are selected as the variables to describe the bodies’ degrees of freedom. The formulation of the equations of motion uses the Newton–Euler approach, augmented with the constraint equations that lead to a set of differential algebraic equations. Furthermore, the main issues related to the stabilization of the violation of constraints based on the Baumgarte approach are revised. Special attention is also given to some techniques that help in the selection process of the values of the Baumgarte parameters, namely, those based on the Taylor’s series and the Laplace transform technique. Finally, a slider-crank mechanism with eccentricity is considered as an example of application in order to illustrate how the violation of constraints can be affected by different factors.

International audienceThe aim of this work is to develop a dynamic model for the biological human knee joint. The model is formulated in the framework of multibody systems methodologies, as a system of two bodies, the femur and the tibia. For the purpose of describing the formulation, the relative motion of the tibia with respect to the femur is considered. Due to their higher stiffness compared to that of the articular cartilages, the femur and tibia are considered as rigid bodies. The femur and tibia cartilages are considered to be deformable structures with specific material characteristics. The rotation and gliding motions of the tibia relative to the femur cannot be modeled with any conventional kinematic joint, but rather in terms of the action of the knee ligaments and potential contact between the bones. Based on medical imaging techniques, the femur and tibia profiles in the sagittal plane are extracted and used to define the interface geometric conditions for contact. When a contact is detected, a continuous nonlinear contact force law is applied which calculates the contact forces developed at the interface as a function of the relative indentation between the two bodies. The four basic cruciate and collateral ligaments present in the knee are also taken into account in the proposed knee joint model, which are modeled as nonlinear elastic springs. The forces produced in the ligaments, together with the contact forces, are introduced into the system's equations of motion as external forces. In addition, an external force is applied on the center of mass of the tibia, in order to actuate the system mimicking a normal gait motion. Finally, numerical results obtained from computational simulations are used to address the assumptions and procedures adopted in this study