Contact Block Error in MultiApp Environment

[xing7yi]

Problem Description:

I'm encountering a "contact block error" when running a contact simulation as a sub-application in a stochastic analysis. The problem is that my input file works perfectly when run standalone, but fails when executed as a sub-app in a MultiApp environment.

Setup:

MOOSE Version:           git commit 77e8c30ba6 on 2025-08-26
LibMesh Version:         
PETSc Version:           3.23.4
SLEPc Version:           3.23.2
Main application:        stochastic_tool_test.i
Sub-application:         indenter_rz_fine.i (contact mechanics simulation)

Error Message:

sub0: *** ERROR ***
sub0: /home/_username_/Simulation/ailuro/problems/2d_indenter/indenter_rz_fine.i:106.3:
sub0: Contact/contact/block: the following blocks (ids) do not exist on the mesh: contact_secondary_subdomain (65535)
sub0: Blocks names (resp. ids) that do exist: ,  (1, 2)

stochastic_tool_test.i

[StochasticTools]
  auto_create_executioner = false
[]

[Transfers]
  [sub]
    type = SamplerParameterTransfer
    to_multi_app = sub
    sampler = sample
    parameters = 'Materials/tensor/youngs_modulus'
    execute_on = INITIAL
    check_multiapp_execute_on = false
  []
[]

[MultiApps]
  [sub]
    type = SamplerFullSolveMultiApp
    input_files = indenter_rz_fine.i
    sampler = sample
  []
[]

[Samplers]
  [sample]
    type = MonteCarlo
    num_rows = 3
    distributions = 'uniform_e'
    execute_on = INITIAL # create random numbers on initial and use them for each timestep
  []
[]

[Distributions]
  [uniform_e]
    type = Uniform
    lower_bound = 10
    upper_bound = 1000
  []
[]

[Executioner]
  type = Transient
#   num_steps = 5
  dt = 0.01
  end_time = 10 # Executioner    
[]

[Outputs]
  execute_on = 'INITIAL TIMESTEP_END'
[]

indenter_rz_fine.i

[Controls]
  [stochastic]
    type = SamplerReceiver
  []
[]

[GlobalParams]
  volumetric_locking_correction = true
  displacements = 'disp_x disp_y'
[]

[Problem]
  # coord_type = RZ
  type = ReferenceResidualProblem
  reference_vector = 'ref'
  extra_tag_vectors = 'ref'
[]

[Mesh]
  patch_update_strategy = auto
  patch_size = 2
  partitioner = centroid
  centroid_partitioner_direction = y

  [simple_mesh]
    type = FileMeshGenerator
    file = indenter_rz_fine_bigsideset.e
  []
  # For NodalVariableValue to work with distributed mesh
  allow_renumbering = false
[]

[Functions]
  [disp_y]
    type = PiecewiseLinear
    x = '0.  1.0     2.0    2.6   3.0'
    y = '0.  -4.5   -5.7   -5.7  -4.0'
  []
[]

[Variables]
  [disp_x]
    order = FIRST
    family = LAGRANGE
    block = '1 2'
  []

  [disp_y]
    order = FIRST
    family = LAGRANGE
    block = '1 2'
  []
[]

[AuxVariables]
  [saved_x]
  []
  [saved_y]
  []
[]

[Physics/SolidMechanics/QuasiStatic]
  [all]
    strain = FINITE
    block = '1 2'
    use_automatic_differentiation = false
    generate_output = 'stress_xx stress_xy stress_xz stress_yy stress_zz'
    save_in = 'saved_x saved_y'
  []
[]

[BCs]
  # Symmetries of the Problem
  [symm_x_indenter]
    type = DirichletBC
    variable = disp_x
    boundary = 5
    value = 0.0
  []

  [symm_x_material]
    type = DirichletBC
    variable = disp_x
    boundary = 9
    value = 0.0
  []

  # Material should not fly away
  [material_base_y]
    type = DirichletBC
    variable = disp_y
    boundary = 8
    value = 0.0
  []

  # Drive indenter motion
  [disp_y]
    type = FunctionDirichletBC
    variable = disp_y
    boundary = 1
    function = disp_y
  []
[]

[Contact]
  [contact]
    secondary = 4
    primary = 6
    model = frictionless
    # Investigate von Mises stress at the edge
    correct_edge_dropping = true
    formulation = mortar
    c_normal = 1e+2
  []
[]

[UserObjects]
  [slip_rate_gss]
    type = CrystalPlasticitySlipRateGSS
    variable_size = 48
    slip_sys_file_name = input_slip_sys_bcc48.txt
    num_slip_sys_flowrate_props = 2
    flowprops = '1 48 0.0001 0.01'
    uo_state_var_name = state_var_gss
    slip_incr_tol = 10.0
    block = 2
  []
  [slip_resistance_gss]
    type = CrystalPlasticitySlipResistanceGSS
    variable_size = 48
    uo_state_var_name = state_var_gss
    block = 2
  []
  [state_var_gss]
    type = CrystalPlasticityStateVariable
    variable_size = 48
    groups = '0 24 48'
    group_values = '900 1000' #120
    uo_state_var_evol_rate_comp_name = state_var_evol_rate_comp_gss
    scale_factor = 1.0
    block = 2
  []
  [state_var_evol_rate_comp_gss]
    type = CrystalPlasticityStateVarRateComponentGSS
    variable_size = 48
    hprops = '1.4 1000 1200 2.5'
    uo_slip_rate_name = slip_rate_gss
    uo_state_var_name = state_var_gss
    block = 2
  []
[]

[Materials]
  [tensor]
    type = ComputeIsotropicElasticityTensor
    block = '1'
    youngs_modulus = 1.0e7
    poissons_ratio = 0.25
  []
  [stress]
    type = ComputeFiniteStrainElasticStress
    block = '1'
  []

  [crysp]
    type = FiniteStrainUObasedCP
    block = 2
    stol = 1e-2
    tan_mod_type = exact
    uo_slip_rates = 'slip_rate_gss'
    uo_slip_resistances = 'slip_resistance_gss'
    uo_state_vars = 'state_var_gss'
    uo_state_var_evol_rate_comps = 'state_var_evol_rate_comp_gss'
    maximum_substep_iteration = 20
  []
  [elasticity_tensor]
    type = ComputeElasticityTensorCP
    block = 2
    C_ijkl = '265190 113650 113650 265190 113650 265190 75769 75769 75760'
    fill_method = symmetric9
  []
[]

[Preconditioning]
  [SMP]
    type = SMP
    full = true
  []
[]

[Executioner]
  type = Transient
  solve_type = 'PJFNK'
  petsc_options = '-snes_ksp_ew'

  petsc_options_iname = '-pc_type -snes_linesearch_type -pc_factor_shift_type '
                        '-pc_factor_shift_amount'
  petsc_options_value = 'lu       basic                 NONZERO               1e-15'
  line_search = 'none'
  automatic_scaling = true
  nl_abs_tol = 2.0e-07
  nl_rel_tol = 2.0e-07
  l_max_its = 40
  l_abs_tol = 1e-08
  l_tol = 1e-08
  start_time = 0.0
  dt = 0.01
  end_time = 3.0 # Executioner
[]

[Postprocessors]
  [maxdisp]
    type = NodalVariableValue
    nodeid = 39
    variable = disp_y
  []
  [resid_y]
    type = NodalSum
    variable = saved_y
    boundary = 1
  []
[]

[Outputs]
  [out]
    type = Exodus
    elemental_as_nodal = true
  []
  perf_graph = true
  csv = true
[]

indenter_rz_fine_bigsideset.e located in moose's official repository
https://github.com/idaholab/moose/blob/master/modules/contact/examples/2d_indenter/indenter_rz_fine_bigsideset.e

[GiudGiud]

Hello

Yes this is not normal. The mesh generation is not happening as expected. You can work around this I think using

[Mesh]
  add_subdomain_names = 'contact_secondary_subdomain contact_primary_subdomain'

in the multiapp input file

[GiudGiud]

ok that only gets past the error message, but still does not create the mortar mesh. So it's not enough

[GiudGiud]

there's an error in the logic.

I ll push a patch rn

[GiudGiud]

That s the patch
#31398
thanks for reporting

[xing7yi]

Thanks for your prompt response, that helps a lot.