Nonlinear Characteristic of Spherical Joints with Clearance

ABSTRACT: Joints in deployable structures can degrade the stiffness and the stability of spacecraft. In this study, the nonlinear stiffness of spherical joints is investigated. The traditional contact model of spherical joints based on non-conforming contact assumption is presented. A new contact model for spherical joints based on the Winkler model and geometric constraints is established to calculate the stiffness of spherical joints with small clearances. The finite element model (FEM) of spherical joints is built to evaluate the accuracy of the theoretical model. The effects of the clearan...