Numerical Modelling
Overview
The study and FE modeling of individual dynamic components is an established and reliable practice in both academia and industry. However, when assembling components, the influence of the joint dynamics on the behaviour of the coupled system is often poorly represented due to the neglection of a large variety of non-linear phenomena, leading to incorrect and/or oversimplified (read: overlinearized) numerical predictions. The knowledge of the static and dynamic behaviour of connection elements plays a key role in the perspective of controlling the source-to-receiver transfer of energy/vibration in structural systems. Ensuring an accurate modeling of interface characteristics in structural assemblies is therefore an ongoing challenge in research and a relevant topic in several industrial applications (e.g. in the fields of automotive, motorcycle, aerospace, renewable energy...). Current studies focus on the definition and development of predictive models to describe the joints connecting two or more components.
Current Projects
The goal is to offer practical, robust and reliable finite element models for two types of connection elements, namely bolted connections and rubber mountings, in order to predict the vibrational behaviour of the system for different contact types and characteristics. For the rubber the focus is more on the constitutive modeling of the material, while for the bolted connection the contact itself represents the critical element. In both cases, the complexity lies in modelling the non-linear behaviour and parameter dependencies that characterise the connection under certain operating conditions. The modeling approaches range from a white box to a black box description, on the basis of the experimental tuning required to describe the dynamic behaviour of the joint. The former implies a full understanding and predictivity of the multi-scale and multi-physics phenomena underlying the joint dynamics. The latter indicates the knowledge of the only input/output dynamic representation of the connection element. In any case, it is required both a strategy for the characterization of the joint parameters and a practical and efficient implementation of the associated models in classic finite element codes.
Project Partners
This project is funded by BMW Motorrad