Joint clearance is inevitable and affects the dynamic characteristics of deployable structures in orbit. An accurate contact force model can improve the dynamic modeling accuracy of deployable structures. This work proposes and validates an enhanced contact force model for modeling deployable structures with clearance joints. First, an enhanced continuous contact force model is presented based on a hybrid theoretical and numerical static cylindrical contact force model with a modified hysteresis damping factor obtained by reassessing energy and momentum transduction during the impact process. Subsequently, the proposed model’s validity is established through comparisons with results from the finite element method. Finally, dynamic simulations for planar deployable structures demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model. The dynamic characteristics of the structures with clearance joints are studied. Results indicate that the proposed model is a reasonable approach for evaluating contact forces during the impact process of clearance joints, which undeniably influence the dynamic characteristics of deployable structures. External loads further affect the dynamic characteristics, and the clearance joints exhibit distinct contact modes, warranting further investigation. This work is vital for designing and analyzing high-precision space deployable structures in orbit.
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