A Robust and Adaptive Isogeometric Framework for Large Deformation Self‐Contact Problems

ABSTRACT In this work, an isogeometric framework for large deformation self‐contact analysis is developed. The proposed framework is used to evaluate the accuracy, robustness, and computational efficiency of two contact enrichment techniques, namely the varying‐order NURBS discretization and the adaptive NURBS contact enrichment for self‐contact problems. Numerical examples in both two‐ and three‐dimensions show that these enrichment techniques are more accurate and computationally efficient than conventional NURBS‐based uniform refinement techniques. The adaptive enrichment, in particular, produces smoother contact responses, enforces contact constraint more effectively, and improves numerical robustness by refining the mesh only in active self‐contact regions. Even with a coarse mesh, the adaptive enrichment performs better than the varying‐order discretization with a finer mesh resolution. Overall, the results demonstrate that both enrichment techniques remain effective for self‐contact problems and provide a reliable and efficient framework for isogeometric self‐contact analysis.