Pulse control of flexible multibody systems

An active pulse control method is developed to reduce the vibrations of multibody systems resulting from impact loadings. The pulse, which is a function of system generalized coordinates and velocities, is determined analytically using energy and momentum balance equations of the impacting bodies. Elastic components in the multibody system are discretized using the finite element method. The system equations of motions and nonlinear algebraic constraint equations describing mechanical joints between different components are written in the Lagrangian formulation using a finite set of coupled reference position and local elastic generalized coordinates. A set of independent differential equations are identified by the generalized coordinate partitioning of the constraint Jacobian matrix. These equations are written in the state space formulation and integrated forward in time using a direct numerical integration method. Dependent coordinates are then determined using the constraint kinematic relations. Points in time at which impact occurs are monitored by an impact predictor function, which controls the integration algorithms and forces for the solution of the momentum relation, to define the jump discontinuities in the composite velocity vector as well as the system reaction forces. The effectiveness of the active pulse control in reducing the vibration of flexible multibody aircraft during the touchdown impact is investigated and numerical results are presented.     

Dynamic analysis of flexible multi-body systems using mixed modal and tangent coordinates

This paper presents a mixed modal and tangent coordinate technique for computer aided analysis of flexible mechanical systems whose components undergo large translations and large rotations. In this model the configuration of a flexible component is identified by using two sets of generalized coordinates, namely rigid body and elastic coordinates. The rigid body coordinates define the location and orientation of a body axis, whereas the elastic coordinates define the displacement field of a component with respect to its body axis. The elastic coordinates are introduced by using finite element discretization to model flexible components with complex geometries. A modal analysis technique is used to identify the elastic mode shapes and to eliminate insignificant higher frequency modes. An orthonormalization of constraint Jacobian matrix associated with rigid body coordinates is used to identify the rigid body tangent coordinates. The resulting modal and tangent coordinates are used to develop an automated numerical integration scheme to solve the system differential and algebraic equations. Two numerical examples are considered to show the feasibility of dynamic analysis of flexible mechanical systems using this scheme.     

Dynamic analysis of multibody systems using component modes

This paper is concerned with dynamic analysis of flexible multibody systems. The configuration of each elastic components is identified by three sets of modes; rigid-body, reference, and normal modes. Rigid body modes are introduced using a set of Lagrangian coordinates that describe rigid-body translation and large rotations of a body reference. Reference modes are defined using a set of reference conditions that are required to define a unique displacement field. These reference conditions, that define the nature of the body axes, have to be consistent with the system constraint equations. Their number should be equal or greater than the number of the rigid-body modes. Normal modes, however, define the deformation relative to the body reference. An automated scheme for imposing the boundary conditions of a constrained flexible component in a multibody system is presented. It is also shown that the mean axis and the body-fixed axis are the result of imposing a special set of reference conditions.     

Complex Flexible Multibody Systems with Application to Vehicle Dynamics

A formulation to describe the linear elastodynamics offlexible multibody systems is presented in this paper. By using a lumpedmass formulation the flexible body mass is represented by a collectionof point masses with rotational inertia. Furthermore, the bodydeformations are described with respect to a body-fixed coordinateframe. The coupling between the flexible body deformation and its rigidbody motion is completely preserved independently of the methods used todescribe the body flexibility. In particular, if the finite elementmethod is chosen for this purpose only the standard finite elementparameters obtained from any commercial finite element code are used inthe methodology. In this manner, not only the analyst can use any typeof finite elements in the multibody model but the same finite elementmodel can be used to evaluate the structural integrity of any systemcomponent also. To deal with complex-shaped structural models offlexible bodies it is necessary to reduce the number of generalizedcoordinates to a reasonable dimension. This is achieved with thecomponent mode synthesis at the cost of specializing the formulation toflexible multibody models experiencing linear elastic deformations only.Structural damping is introduced to achieve better numerical performancewithout compromising the quality of the results. The motions of therigid body and flexible body reference frames are described usingCartesian coordinates. The kinematic constraints between the differentsystem components are evaluated in terms of this set of generalizedcoordinates. The equations of motion of the flexible multibody systemare solved by using the augmented Lagrangean method and a sparse matrixsolver. Finally, the methodology is applied to model a vehicle with acomplex flexible chassis, simulated in typical handling scenarios. Theresults of the simulations are discussed in terms of their numericalprecision and efficiency.     

Geometrically nonlinear analysis of multibody systems

A method for the dynamic analysis of geometrically nonlinear inertia-variant flexible systems is presented. Systems investigated consist of interconnected rigid and flexible components that undergo large rigid body rotations as well as nonlinear elastic deformations. The differential equations of motion are formulated using Lagrange's equation and nonlinear constraint equations describing mechanical joints in the system are adjoined to the system differential equations of motion using Lagrange's multipliers. A computer program that systematically constructs and numerically solves the system equations of motion is used to predict the effect of the geometric elastic nonlinearities on the dynamic response of flexible multibody systems. The automated formulation presented imposes no limitations on the size of the mechanical systems to be treated. Two examples, namely a slider crank and six-bar mechanisms, are presented to illustrate the effect of introducing geometric nonlinearities to the dynamics of flexible multibody systems.     

A computer-oriented method for reducing linearized multibody system equations by incorporating constraints

Consider a spatial multibody system with rigid and elastic bodies. The bodies are linked by rigid interconnections (e.g. revolute joints) causing constraints, as well as by flexible interconnections (e.g. springs) causing applied forces. Small motions of the system with respect to a given nominal configuration can be described by linearized dynamic equations and kinematic constraint equations. We present a computer-oriented procedure which allows to develop a minimum number of these equations. There are three problems. First: algorithmic selection of position coordinates; second: condensation of the dynamic equations; third: evaluation of the constraint forces. To demonstrate the procedure, a closed loop multibody system is used as an example.     

Spatial Formulation of Elastic Multibody Systems with Impulsive Constraints

The problem of modeling the transient dynamics ofthree-dimensional multibody mechanical systems which encounter impulsiveexcitations during their functional usage is addressed. The dynamicbehavior is represented by a nonlinear dynamic model comprising a mixedset of reference and local elastic coordinates. The finite-elementmethod is employed to represent the local deformations ofthree-dimensional beam-like elastic components by either a finite set ofnodal coordinates or a truncated set of modal coordinates. Thefinite-element formulation will permit beam elements with variablegeometry. The governing equations of motion of the three-dimensionalmultibody configurations will be derived using the Lagrangianconstrained formulation. The generalized impulse-momentum-balance methodis extended to accommodate the persistent type of the impulsiveconstraints. The developed formulation is implemented into a multibodysimulation program that assembles the equations of motion and proceedswith its solution. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate theapplicability of the developed method and to display its potential ingaining more insight into the dynamic behavior of such systems.     

A criterion on inclusion of stress stiffening effects in flexible multibody dynamic system simulation

This paper presents a criterion on inclusion of stress stiffening effects in dynamic simulation of flexible multibody systems. The proposed criterion examines numerically the eigenvalue variation of the total modal stiffness matrix that is a combination of the modal stress stiffness matrix and the conventional linear modal stiffness matrix prior to actual dynamic simulation. If the variation is sufficiently large for any flexible body in the multibody system, then stress stiffening effects must be included in dynamic simulation of flexible multibody systems for accurate prediction of dynamic behavior. Since the criterion uses the most general stress stiffness matrix contributed from applied and constraint reaction loads as well as from a system of 12 inertial loads, this criterion is applicable to any general flexible multibody dynamic system. Several numerical results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed criterion.     

Chain Vibration and Dynamic Stress in Three-Dimensional Multibody Tracked Vehicles

A three-dimensional computational finite element procedure for the vibration and dynamic stress analysis of the track link chains of off-road vehicles is presented in this paper. The numerical procedure developed in this investigation integrates classical constrained multibody dynamics methods with finite element capabilities. The nonlinear equations of motion of the three-dimensional tracked vehicle model in which the track link s are considered flexible bodies, are obtained using the floating frame of reference formulation. Three-dimensional contact force models are used to describe the interaction of the track chain links with the vehicle components and the ground. The dynamic equations of motion are first presented in terms of a coupled set of reference and elastic coordinates of the track links. Assuming that the structural flexibility of the track links does not have a significant effect on their overall rigid body motion as well as the vehicle dynamics, a partially linearized set of differential equations of motion of the track links is obtained. The equations associated with the rigid body motion are used to predict the generalized contact, inertia, and constraint forces associated with the deformation degrees of freedom of the track links. These forces are introduced to the track link flexibility equations which are used to calculate the deformations of the links resulting from the vehicle motion. A detailed three-dimensional finite element model of the track link is developed and utilized to predict the natural frequencies and mode shapes. The terms that represent the rigid body inertia, centrifugal and Coriolis forces in the equations of motion associated with the elastic coordinates of the track link are described in detail. A computational procedure for determining the generalized constraint forces associated with the elastic coordinates of the deformable chain links is presented. The finite element model is then used to determine the deformations of the track links resulting from the contact, inertia, and constraint forces. The results of the dynamic stress analysis of the track links are presented and the differences between these results and the results obtained by using the static stress analysis are demonstrated.     

Absolute nodal coordinate plane beam formulation for multibody systems dynamics

A new plane beam dynamic formulation for constrained multibody system dynamics is developed. Flexible multibody system dynamics includes rigid body dynamics and superimposed vibratory motions. The complexity of mechanical system dynamics originates from rotational kinematics, but the natural coordinate formulation does not use rotational coordinates, so that simple dynamic formulation is possible. These methods use only translational coordinates and simple algebraic constraints. A new formulation for plane flexible multibody systems are developed utilizing the curvature of a beam and point masses. Using absolute nodal coordinates, a constant mass matrix is obtained and the elastic force becomes a nonlinear function of the nodal coordinates. In this formulation, no infinitesimal or finite rotation assumptions are used and no assumption on the magnitude of the element rotations is made. The distributed body mass and applied forces are lumped to the point masses. Closed loop mechanical systems consisting of elastic beams can be modeled without constraints since the loop closure constraints can be substituted as beam longitudinal elasticity. A curved beam is modeled automatically. Several numerical examples are presented to show the effectiveness of this method.     

Erratum to: New efficient method for dynamic modeling and simulation of flexible multibody systems moving in plane

Efficient, precise dynamic analysis for general flexible multibody systems has become a research focus in the field of flexible multibody dynamics. In this paper, the finite element method and component mode synthesis are introduced to describe the deformations of the flexible components, and the dynamic equations of flexible bodies moving in plane are deduced. By combining the discrete time transfer matrix method of multibody system with these dynamic equations of flexible component, the transfer equations and transfer matrices of flexible bodies moving in plane are developed. Finally, a high-efficient dynamic modeling method and its algorithm are presented for high-speed computation of general flexible multibody dynamics. Compared with the ordinary dynamics methods, the proposed method combines the strengths of the transfer matrix method and finite element method. It does not need the global dynamic equations of system and has the low order of system matrix and high computational efficiency. This method can be applied to solve the dynamics problems of flexible multibody systems containing irregularly shaped flexible components. It has advantages for dynamic design of complex flexible multibody systems. Formulations as well as a numerical example of a multi-rigid-flexible-body system containing irregularly shaped flexible components are given to validate the method.     

Dynamics of Flexible Multibody Systems Using Virtual Work and Linear Graph Theory

By combining linear graph theory with the principle of virtualwork, a dynamic formulation is obtained that extends graph-theoreticmodelling methods to the analysis of flexible multibody systems. Thesystem is represented by a linear graph, in which nodes representreference frames on rigid and flexible bodies, and edges representcomponents that connect these frames. By selecting a spanning tree forthe graph, the analyst can choose the set of coordinates appearing inthe final system of equations. This set can include absolute, joint, orelastic coordinates, or some combination thereof. If desired, allnon-working constraint forces and torques can be automaticallyeliminated from the dynamic equations by exploiting the properties ofvirtual work. The formulation has been implemented in a computerprogram, DynaFlex, that generates the equations of motion in symbolicform. Three examples are presented to demonstrate the application of theformulation, and to validate the symbolic computer implementation.     

Triangularizing kinematic constraint equations using Gröbner bases for real-time dynamic simulation

Real-time simulation is an essential component of hardware- and operator-in-the-loop applications, such as driving simulators, and can greatly facilitate the design, implementation, and testing of dynamic controllers. Such applications may involve multibody systems containing closed kinematic chains, which are most readily modeled using a set of redundant generalized coordinates. The governing dynamic equations for such systems are differential-algebraic in nature—that is, they consist of a set of ordinary differential equations coupled with a set of nonlinear algebraic constraint equations—and can be difficult to solve in real time. In this work, the equations of motion are formulated symbolically using linear graph theory. The embedding technique is applied to eliminate the Lagrange multipliers from the dynamic equations and obtain one ordinary differential equation for each independent acceleration. The theory of Gröbner bases is then used to triangularize the kinematic constraint equations, thereby producing a recursively solvable system for calculating the dependent generalized coordinates given values of the independent coordinates. The proposed approach can be used to generate computationally efficient simulation code that avoids the use of iteration, which makes it particularly suitable for real-time applications.     

On the use of absolute interface coordinates in the floating frame of reference formulation for flexible multibody dynamics

In this work a new formulation for flexible multibody systems is presented based on the floating frame formulation. In this method, the absolute interface coordinates are used as degrees of freedom. To this end, a coordinate transformation is established from the absolute floating frame coordinates and the local interface coordinates to the absolute interface coordinates. This is done by assuming linear theory of elasticity for a body’s local elastic deformation and by using the Craig–Bampton interface modes as local shape functions. In order to put this new method into perspective, relevant relations between inertial frame, corotational frame and floating frame formulations are explained. As such, this work provides a clear overview of how these three well-known and apparently different flexible multibody methods are related. An advantage of the method presented in this work is that the resulting equations of motion are of the differential rather than the differential-algebraic type. At the same time, it is possible to use well-developed model order reduction techniques on the flexible bodies locally. Hence, the method can be employed to construct superelements from arbitrarily shaped three dimensional elastic bodies, which can be used in a flexible multibody dynamics simulation. The method is validated by simulating the static and dynamic behavior of a number of flexible systems.     

Hybrid control of flexible multi-body systems

In constrained systems of rigid and flexible bodies, the gross rigid body motion and elastic deformation cannot be controlled independently because of the coupling between these two motions. A hybrid control method for suppressing the vibration of a geometrically nonlinear flexible multi-body system is proposed in this paper. This method utilizes both the passive and active control concepts. In the passive control strategy, flexible components in the system are manufactured from fiber-reinforced composite laminates which have high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios. On the other hand, the active control scheme used in this paper utilizes measurable velocity and acceleration signals to produce the command signals required to activate the actuator forces. A small number of sensors and controllers with constant gain factors are used in order to obtain a low-cost and simple control system. The generalized active control forces associated with the system generalized coordinates are developed using the virtual work and are written in terms of the coupled set of reference and elastic coordinates. The system differential equations of motion are developed using Lagrange's equation and the Jacobian matrix of the nonlinear algebraic constraint equations describing mechanical joints in the system is used to identify a set of independent generalized coordinates. The associated independent differential equations are identified and are written in the state space formulation. The characteristics of the proposed hybrid control are evaluated through computer simulations of a seven-body flexible vehicle. The performance characteristics of the hybrid control are also compared to the performance characteristics of the passive and active controls.     

Use of penalty formulations in dynamic simulation and analysis of redundantly constrained multibody systems

The determination of particular reaction forces in the analysis of redundantly constrained multibody systems requires the consideration of the stiffness distribution in the system. This can be achieved by modeling the components of the mechanical system as flexible bodies. An alternative to this, which we will discuss in this paper, is the use of penalty factors already present in augmented Lagrangian formulations as a way of introducing the structural properties of the physical system into the model. Natural coordinates and the kinematic constraints required to ensure rigid body behavior are particularly convenient for this. In this paper, scaled penalty factors in an index-3 augmented Lagrangian formulation are employed, together with modeling in natural coordinates, to represent the structural properties of redundantly constrained multibody systems. Forward dynamic simulations for two examples are used to illustrate the material. Results showed that scaled penalty factors can be used as a simple and efficient way to accurately determine the constraint forces in the presence of redundant constraints.     

The development of a sliding joint for very flexible multibody dynamics using absolute nodal coordinate formulation

In this paper, a formulation for a spatial sliding joint is derived using absolute nodal coordinates and non-generalized coordinate and it allows a general multibody move along a very flexible cable. The large deformable motion of a spatial cable is presented using absolute nodal coordinate formulation, which is based on the finite element procedures and the general continuum mechanics theory to represent the elastic forces. And the nongeneralized coordinate, which is related to neither the inertia forces nor the external forces, is used to describe an arbitrary position along the centerline of a very flexible cable. Hereby, the non-generalized coordinate represents the arc-length parameter. The constraint equations for the sliding joint are expressed in terms of generalized coordinate and nongeneralized coordinate. In the constraint equations for the sliding joint, one constraint equation can be systematically eliminated. There are two independent Lagrange multipliers in the final system equations of motion associated with the sliding joint. The development of this sliding joint is important to analyze many mechanical systems such as pulley systems and pantograph-catenary systems for high speed-trains.     

考虑刚-柔-热耦合的板结构多体系统的动力学建模

对热载荷作用下中心刚体与大变形薄板多体系统的动力学建模问题进行研究.基于Kirchhoff假设,从格林应变和曲率与绝对位移的非线性关系式出发,推导了非线性广义弹性力阵,用绝对节点坐标法建立了大变形矩形薄板的有限元离散的动力学变分方程.为了考虑刚体姿态运动、弹性变形和温度变化的相互耦合作用,推导了热流密度与绝对节点坐标之间的关系式.引入系统的运动学约束方程,建立了中心刚体-矩形板多体系统的考虑刚-柔-热耦合的热传导方程和带拉格朗日乘子的第一类拉格朗日动力学方程.为了有效地提高计算效率,将改进的中心差分法和广义-α法相结合,求解热传导方程和动力学方程,差分后的方程通过牛顿迭代法耦合求解.对刚-柔耦合和刚-柔-热三者耦合两种模型的仿真结果进行比较表明,刚体运动对温度梯度和热变形的影响显著.此外,本文建模方法考虑了几何非线性项,因此也考虑了热膨胀引起的轴向变形对横向变形的影响.     

New efficient method for dynamic modeling and simulation of flexible multibody systems moving in plane

Efficient, precise dynamic analysis for general flexible multibody systems has become a research focus in the field of flexible multibody dynamics. In this paper, the finite element method and component mode synthesis are introduced to describe the deformations of the flexible components, and the dynamic equations of flexible bodies moving in plane are deduced. By combining the discrete time transfer matrix method of multibody system with these dynamic equations of flexible component, the transfer equations and transfer matrices of flexible bodies moving in plane are developed. Finally, a high-efficient dynamic modeling method and its algorithm are presented for high-speed computation of general flexible multibody dynamics. Compared with the ordinary dynamics methods, the proposed method combines the strengths of the transfer matrix method and finite element method. It does not need the global dynamic equations of system and has the low order of system matrix and high computational efficiency. This method can be applied to solve the dynamics problems of flexible multibody systems containing irregularly shaped flexible components. It has advantages for dynamic design of complex flexible multibody systems. Formulations as well as a numerical example of a multi-rigid-flexible-body system containing irregularly shaped flexible components are given to validate the method.