Nonlinear phenomena of contact in multibody systems dynamics: a review

In the present work, an introduction to the contact phenomena in multibody systems is made. The different existing approaches are described, together with their most distinctive features. Then, the term of coefficient of restitution is emphasized as a tool to characterize impact events and the algorithm for calculating the relative indentation between two convex-shaped bodies is developed. Subsequently, the main penalty contact models developed in the last decades are presented and developed, analysing their advantages and drawbacks, as well as their respective applications. Furthermore, some models with specific peculiarities that could be useful to the reader are included. The aim of this work is to provide a resource to the novice researcher in the field to facilitate the choice of the appropriate contact model for their work.