Simulation of contact interface between elastic solids using smoothed particle hydrodynamics

In recent years, the use of the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method has increased. However, most researches have restricted the application of this method to the fluids field. Few publications have reported the use of SPH to study solid problems. Moreover, only a small amount of investigations have considered the interface when two solids are in contact. The standard SPH method is able to determine the interaction of two objects through mutual search of particles at the interface. Taking this into account, herein we report a new strategy named interfacial SPH for simulating the contact of elastic objects. In our simulations, the search domain only contained the particles of the object, and the interaction between the two objects was achieved by means of the interface force. First, the collision of two aluminium rectangles was simulated in order to test the usefulness of the simulation strategy at the linear interface. Later, the collision between two discs was simulated to test the strategy at the curved interface. Subsequently, the collision of two elastic rubber rings and the impact of a bullet on an elastic plate were simulated. These last two models showed how the strategy used in the present investigation can be applied for the simulation of large deformation of elastomers. Finally, this paper analysed the problems of applying the standard SPH method in the simulation of the interface contact between two solids. The XSPH method and the artificial stress method were used in our simulations to ensure simulation stability.