Modeling of multiple coupled normal and tangential contacts, application to the simulation of axial blade/disk attachments

A blade root, due to its specific geometry, involves multiple simultaneous contacts between disk teeth and blade root teeth. This configuration requires the simultaneous resolution of multiple contact problems between two bodies, one for each contact zone. The proposed approach separates the global structural deformation of the assembly from the local contact deformation at each contact zone. An initial equilibrium is established between the local variables used to control the various contacts calculated upstream and the contact pressures, shear and slip vectors obtained using a semi-analytical method. The resulting local contact reactions are then balanced against the applied external loads in the global reference frame using an iterative numerical method until global equilibrium is reached. This numerical method enables the simultaneous solution of both normal and tangential multiple contact problems. Several loading configurations are performed to assess the influence of different parameters such as the skew angle, the contact inclination angle, and the friction coefficient on both the pressure field and the load distribution across different contact areas. The ability to perform rapid sensitivity studies is one of the key benefits of the proposed design tool.