Advances in the application of multi-body simulation technology to real world problems have led to an ever increasing demand for higher fidelity modeling techniques. Of these, accurate modeling of friction is of strategic interest in applications such as control system design, automotive suspension analysis, robotics etc. Joints (sometimes referred to as constraints) play an important role in defining the dynamics of a multi-body system. Hence, it is imperative to accurately account for friction forces arising at these joints due to the underlying interface dynamics. In this paper, we discuss the application of LuGre, a dynamic friction model to simulate joint friction. We choose the LuGre model due to its ability to capture important effects such as the Stribeck effect and the Dahl effect. The native 1-d LuGre model is extended to formulate friction computations for non-trivial joint geometries and dynamics in 2 and 3 dimensions. It is also extended to work in the quasi-static regime. Specific applications to revolute, cylindrical and spherical joints in multi-body systems are discussed. Finally, an engineering case study on the effects of joint friction in automotive suspension analysis is presented.
An improved LuGre model for calculating static steering torque of rubber tracked chassis
