Flexible Multibody Impact Simulations Using Hierarchically Refined Isogeometric Models

Detailed impact simulations in flexible multibody systems can be simulated based on reduced isogeometric analysis (IGA) models. A precise simulation of an impact requires a high element resolution in the contact area. Usually, global refinement methods are used, which are easy to implement. However, the literature proposes the use of hierarchical refinement to refine locally. The local refinement generates fewer countable degrees of freedom compared to an equivalent global refinement. Numerous application areas can be found in the literature, such as contact simulations, where the computational effort is reduced by local refinement. This work tests the hierarchical refinement in the context of an impact simulation with the floating frame of reference formulation. In the application example, the impact of two elastic spheres is simulated and compared to an analytic solution. The focus is set on calculation time and accuracy compared to globally refined reference models.