By using segment to segment and node to segment setting in a contact calculation, the stress shows a bigger difference(nearly 32%) in contact region. How do I confirm which one is more reliable?
Segment to segment contact algorithm should improve contact stress compared to Node to segment. Check the contact status and other results to make sure contact is working as expected.
Below are some some generic guidelines,
Use tighter convergence tolerance.
Turn on Augmentation on S2S contact.
If the material stiffness varies significantly , then the default penalty factor computed in S2S may need to be tweaked.
