Effect of wear on the dynamics of structures with contact interfaces by a coupled static/dynamic multi-harmonic balance method

The nonlinear dynamics of assembled structures is strongly affected by the friction damping originated at the contact interfaces. The tangential slip (either full or partial) occurring at the interfaces can lead to wear, which changes the contact conditions and the way the contacts affect the nonlinear dynamics of the system. In this paper, a novel method is presented to predict the dynamics of structures with contact interfaces, considering the evolution of wear and its effect on the nonlinear dynamics of the system. The proposed method relies on and extends an already proven coupled static/dynamic multi-harmonic balance method developed for the nonlinear forced response of structures with friction contacts.