A dissipative contact force model for impact analysis in multibody dynamics

In this work, a new dissipative contact force model, based on the foundation of Hertz contact law, is presented for impact analysis in multibody dynamics. A hysteresis damping force is introduced in the model for capturing the energy loss during the contact process. An approximate function, representing the relationship between the deformation velocity and deformation, is used to calculate the energy loss due to the damping force. The difference between the compression phase and restitution phase during the contact process is taken into account in the energy loss calculation. For illustration, four different contact force models are applied in a numerical example to compare their behaviors. The results are presented in the form of dynamic simulations in a multibody system, which allow comparison of the differences and similarities among the four contact models. They show the validity of our model for soft or hard contact problems.