Efficient Virtual Tribomechadynamics by Means of Joint Modes for Detailed Investigation of Complex Local Stick and Slip Behavior Inside a Joint

In the last years, the numerical and experimental research effort on joint nonlinearities and tribomechadynamics has increased. Thereby, local sticking and slipping effects as well as the influence of friction caused damping on the global dynamics are of interest. Conventional computational approaches like model order reduction techniques or the finite element method lead either to insufficient result quality or a high computational burden. For the efficient numerical consideration of jointed structures in combination with model order reduction, joint modes based on trial vector derivatives have been presented. These joint modes enable accurate computation of local nonlinear contact and friction forces together with efficient time integration even for high fidelity finite element models. This article describes the application of joint modes for efficient virtual tribomechadynamics. Therefore, a generic structure including a bolted joint is used. It is investigated if these joint modes reproduce local friction stress, and sticking/slipping areas comparable to the nonlinear finite element method within reasonable computational times. Moreover, global damping effects are studied at different preload levels and related to local sticking/slipping behavior. The numerical studies confirm that joint modes lead to accurate results with low computation effort and hence allow an efficient and detailed virtual investigation of complex joints. In addition, this publication shows that the consideration of tangential stiffness for the computation of joint modes remarkably increases the local result quality.