Publications

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In computational structural dynamics problems, the ability to calibrate numerical models to physical test data often depends on determining the correct constraints within a structure with mechanical interfaces. These interfaces are defined as the locations within a built-up assembly where two or more disjointed structures are connected. In reality, the normal and tangential forces arising from friction and contact, respectively, are the only means of transferring loads between structures. In linear structural dynamics, a typical modeling approach is to linearize the interface using springs and dampers to connect the disjoint structures, then tune the coefficients to obtain sufficient accuracy between numerically predicted and experimentally measured results. This work explores the use of a numerical inverse method to predict the area of the contact patch located within a bolted interface by defining multi-point constraints. The presented model updating procedure assigns contact definitions (fully stuck, slipping, or no contact) in a finite element model of a jointed structure as a function of contact pressure computed from a nonlinear static analysis. The contact definitions are adjusted until the computed modes agree with experimental test data. The methodology is demonstrated on a C-shape beam system with two bolted interfaces, and the calibrated model predicts modal frequencies with <3% total error summed across the first six elastic modes.

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Complex mechanical structures are often subjected to random vibration environments. One strategy to analyze these nonlinear structures numerically is to use finite element analysis with an explicit solver to resolve interactions in the time domain. However, this approach is impractical because the solver is conditionally stable and requires thousands of iterations to resolve the contact algorithms. As a result, only short runs can be performed practically because of the extremely long runtime needed to obtain sufficient sampling for long-time statistics. The proposed approach uses a machine learning algorithm known as the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network to model the response of the nonlinear system to random input. The LSTM extends the capability of the explicit solver approach by taking short samples and extending them to arbitrarily long signals. The efficient LSTM algorithm enables the capability to perform Monte Carlo simulations to quantify model-form and aleatoric uncertainty due to the random input.

Advanced friction models are often mathematically defined as nonlinear differential equations or complicated algebraic operations acting in single degree-of-freedom systems; however, such simplified conditions are not relevant to most design applications. As a result, current designers of practical structures typically simplify friction modeling to classical, Coulomb-like descriptions. In order to be viable for design purposes, friction models must be applicable to realistic structures and available in standard commercial codes. The goal of this work is to implement several different friction models into the commercial code, Abaqus, as user-defined contact models and to explore their properties in a dynamic simulation. A verification problem of interest to the joints community is utilized to evaluate efficacy. Several output quantities of the model will be presented and discussed, including frictional energy dissipation, amplitude, and frequency. The selected results are comparable to commonly observed experimental phenomena in mechanics of jointed structures.

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Structural dynamics models with localized nonlinearities can be reduced using Hurty/Craig-Bampton component mode synthesis methods. The interior degrees-of-freedom of the linear subcomponents are reduced with a set of dynamic fixedinterface modes while the static constraint modes preserve the physical coordinates at which the nonlinear restoring forces are applied. For finite element models with a highly refined mesh at the boundary, a secondary modal analysis can be performed to reduce the interface down to a truncated set of local-level characteristic constraint modes. In this research, the cost savings and accuracy of the interface reduction technique are evaluated on a simple example problem involving two elastic blocks coming into contact.

Structural dynamics models with localized nonlinearities can be reduced using Hurty/Craig-Bampton component mode synthesis methods. The interior degrees-of-freedom of the linear subcomponents are reduced with a set of dynamic fixedinterface modes while the static constraint modes preserve the physical coordinates at which the nonlinear restoring forces are applied. For finite element models with a highly refined mesh at the boundary, a secondary modal analysis can be performed to reduce the interface down to a truncated set of local-level characteristic constraint modes. In this research, the cost savings and accuracy of the interface reduction technique are evaluated on a simple example problem involving two elastic blocks coming into contact.

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