Self-adaptive macroslip array for friction force prediction in contact interfaces with non-conforming meshes

The steady-state nonlinear forced response (NFR) of finite element (FE) models with friction joints is usually computed in the frequency domain through the combination of node-to-node contact elements and the Harmonic Balance Method (HBM). In the current state of the art, rare are the cases where the friction forces are estimated for contact interfaces with nonconforming mesh grids. This need is nowadays taking place due to the improving capability of commercial FE software to manage any kind of boundary condition (i.e., either coupling or contact), without requiring coincident pairs of nodes at the joint interfaces. Such an advantage becomes a drawback when the analysts are requested to investigate the NFR of the assembly by using build-in codes, where the contact forces prediction usually requires node-to-node contact elements whose parameters (i.e., the contact stiffnesses and friction coefficients) can be easily identified by means of experiments. This paper addresses the mentioned limitation, and proposes a novel self-adaptive macroslip array (SAMA) model for the estimation of the nonlinear friction forces on FE contact interfaces with nonconforming meshes. The SAMA model consists on a set of node-to-node contact elements ordered in parallel, whose contact parameters and normal preloads are identified through a step-by-step self-adaptive weighting algorithm that depends on the topology of the meshes in contact. The goodness of the proposed model is assessed on the calculation of the NFR of a bladed disk with shroud contacts, under the hypotheses of cyclic symmetry and HBM. The nonlinear dynamic behavior of the bladed disk is evaluated in two different cases. First, in the case of lack of node-to-node congruence at the contact interface for the structure being in its undeformed configuration, and second, in the case of a relevant static misalignment of the contact interfaces due to the application of large static loads.