Asynchronous variational contact mechanics

An asynchronous, variational method for simulating elastica in complex contact and impact scenarios is developed. Asynchronous variational integrators [1] (AVIs) are extended to handle contact forces by associating different time steps to forces instead of to spatial elements. By discretizing a barrier potential by an infinite sum of nested quadratic potentials, these extended AVIs are used to resolve contact while obeying momentum- and energy-conservation laws. A series of two- and three-dimensional examples illustrate the robustness and good energy behavior of the method. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.