Multibody Dynamics of Very Flexible Damped Systems

An efficient multibody dynamics formulation is presented for simulating the forward dynamics of open and closed loop mechanical systems comprised of rigid and flexible bodies interconnected by revolute, prismatic, free, and fixed joints. Geometrically nonlinear deformation of flexible bodies is included and the formulation does not impose restrictions on the representation of material damping within flexible bodies.The approach is based on Kane's equation without multipliers and the resulting formulation generates 2ndof+m first order ordinary differential equations directly where ndof is the smallest number of system degrees of freedom that can completely describe the system configuration and m is the number of loop closure velocity constraint equations. The equations are integrated numerically in the time domain to propagate the solution.Flexible bodies are discretized using a finite element approach. The mass and stiffness matrices for a six-degree-of-freedom planar beam element are developed including mass coupling terms, rotary inertia, centripetal and Coriolis forces, and geometric stiffening terms.The formulation is implemented in the general purpose multibody dynamics computer program flxdyn. Extensive validation of the formulation and corresponding computer program is accomplished by comparing results with analytically derived equations, alternative approximate solutions, and benchmark problems selected from the literature. The formulation is found to perform well in terms of accuracy and solution efficiency.This article develops the formulation and presents a set of validation problems including a sliding pendulum, seven link mechanism, flexible beam spin-up problem, and flexible slider crank mechanism.     

On Derivation of Motion Equations for Systems with Non-Holonomic High-Order Program Constraints

The paper develops and discusses the generalization of modeling methods for systems with non-holonomic constraints. The classification of constraints has been revisited and a concept of program constraints introduced. High-order non-holonomic constraints (HONC), as presented in examples, are the generalization of the constraint concept and may, as a constraint class, include many of motion requirements that are put upon mechanical systems. Generalized program motion equations (GPME) that have been derived in the paper can be applied to systems with HONC. Concepts of virtual displacements and a generalized variational principle for high-order constraints are presented. Classical modeling methods for non-holonomic systems based on Lagrange equations with multipliers, Maggi, Appell–Gibbs, Boltzman–Hamel, Chaplygin and others are peculiar cases of GPME. The theory has been illustrated with examples of high-order constraints. Motion equations have been derived for a system subjected to a constraint that programmed a trajectory curvature profile. Efficiency, advantages and disadvantages of GPME have been discussed.     

A DAE Approach to Flexible Multibody Dynamics

The present work deals with the dynamics of multibody systems consisting ofrigid bodies and beams. Nonlinear finite element methods are used to devise a frame-indifferent spacediscretization of the underlying geometrically exact beam theory. Both rigid bodies and semi-discrete beams are viewed as finite-dimensional dynamical systems with holonomic constraints. The equations of motion pertaining to the constrained mechanical systems under considerationtake the form of Differential Algebraic Equations (DAEs).The DAEs are discretized directly by applying a Galerkin-based method.It is shown that the proposed DAE approach provides a unified framework for the integration of flexible multibody dynamics.     

Finite Element Method in Dynamics of Flexible Multibody Systems: Modeling of Holonomic Constraints and Energy Conserving Integration Schemes

In this work we discuss an application of the finite elementmethod to modeling of flexible multibody systems employing geometricallyexact structural elements. Two different approaches to handleconstraints, one based on the Lagrange multiplier procedure and anotherbased on the use of release degrees of freedom, are examined in detail.The energy conserving time stepping scheme, which is proved to be wellsuited for integrating stiff differential equations, gouverning themotion of a single flexible link is appropriately modified and extendedto nonlinear dynamics of multibody systems.     

Dynamics of Multibody Systems Subjected to Impulsive Constraints

This paper presents a procedure for studying dynamics of multibodysystems subjected to impulsive constraints which may be either holonomicor nonholonomic. The procedure automatically incorporates the effects ofimpulsive constraints through its analysis. The governing equationsthemselves are developed from Kane's equations, using partial velocityvectors and partial angular velocity vectors. Explicit expressions forthe coefficients and terms of the governing equations are presented. Twosubcases are studied: (1) the constraints are instantaneously applied andcontinue to act; and (2) the constraints are instantaneously applied andlifted immediately after completion of impact. The internal impulses ateach joint and constraint impulses associated with the impulsiveconstraints are calculated. The procedure is checked with two examples,whose solutions are established.     

Analysis of Flexible Multibody Systems with Intermittent Contacts

This paper is concerned with the dynamic analysis of flexible,nonlinear multibody systems undergoing intermittent contacts. Contact isassumed to be of finite duration, and the forces acting between thecontacting bodies which can be either rigid or deformable are explicitlycomputed during simulation. The modeling of contact consists of threeparts: a number of holonomic constraints that define the candidatecontact points on the bodies, a unilateral contact condition which istransformed into a holonomic constraint by the addition of a slackvariable, and a contact model which describes the relationship betweenthe contact force and the local deformation of the contacting bodies.This work is developed within the framework of energy preserving anddecaying time integration schemes that provide unconditional stabilityfor nonlinear, flexible multibody systems undergoing intermittentcontacts.     

A Modal Multifield Approach for an Extended Flexible Body Description in Multibody Dynamics

This paper presents a new methodology to simulate the behaviour of flexible bodies influenced by multiple physical field quantities in addition to the classical mechanical terms. The theoretical framework is based on the extended Hamilton Principle and an adapted modal multifield approach. Furthermore, the use of finite element analysis for the necessary data preprocessing is explained. Numerical solution strategies for the coupled system of differential equations with different time scale properties are mentioned. The method is applied to simulate a structure with distributed piezo-ceramic devices inducing an additional electrostatic field. Two thermoelastic problems, which have to consider the influence of spatial temperature distribution, also demonstrate the benefits of the presented approach.     

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.     

Conserving Properties in Constrained Dynamics of Flexible Multibody Systems

The context of this work is the non-linear dynamics ofmultibody systems (MBS). The approach followed for parametrisation ofrigid bodies is the use of inertial coordinates, forming a dependent setof parameters. This approach mixes naturally with nodal coordinates in adisplacement-based finite element discretisation of flexible bodies,allowing an efficient simulation for MBS dynamics. An energy-momentumtime integration algorithm is developed within the context of MBSconstraints enforced through penalty methods. The approach follows theconcept of a discrete derivative for Hamiltonian systems proposed byGonzalez, achieving exact preservation of energy and momentum. Thealgorithm displays considerable stability, overcoming the traditionaldrawback of the penalty method, namely numerical ill-conditioning thatleads to stiff equation systems. Additionally, excellent performance isachieved in long-term simulations with rather large time-steps.     

Quadratic and Higher-Order Constraints in Energy-Conserving Formulations of Flexible Multibody Systems

The treatment of constraints is considered here within the framework ofenergy-momentum conserving formulations for flexible multibody systems.Constraint equations of various types are an inherent component of multibodysystems, their treatment being one of the key performance features ofmathematical formulations and numerical solution schemes.Here we employ rotation-free inertial Cartesian coordinates of points tocharacterise such systems, producing a formulation which easily couples rigidbody dynamics with nonlinear finite element techniques for the flexiblebodies. This gives rise to additional internal constraints in rigid bodies topreserve distances. Constraints are enforced via a penalty method, which givesrise to a simple yet powerful formulation. Energy-momentum time integrationschemes enable robust long term simulations for highly nonlinear dynamicproblems.The main contribution of this paper focuses on the integration of constraintequations within energy-momentum conserving numerical schemes. It is shownthat the solution for constraints which may be expressed directly in terms ofquadratic invariants is fairly straightforward. Higher-order constraints mayalso be solved, however in this case for exact conservation an iterativeprocedure is needed in the integration scheme. This approach, together withsome simplified alternatives, is discussed.Representative numerical simulations are presented, comparing the performanceof various integration procedures in long-term simulations of practicalmultibody systems.     

Flexible Multibody Dynamics: Review of Past and Recent Developments

In this paper, a review of past and recent developments in the dynamics of flexible multibody systems is presented. The objective is to review some of the basic approaches used in the computer aided kinematic and dynamic analysis of flexible mechanical systems, and to identify future directions in this research area. Among the formulations reviewed in this paper are the floating frame of reference formulation, the finite element incremental methods, large rotation vector formulations, the finite segment method, and the linear theory of elastodynamics. Linearization of the flexible multibody equations that results from the use of the incremental finite element formulations is discussed. Because of space limitations, it is impossible to list all the contributions made in this important area. The reader, however, can find more references by consulting the list of articles and books cited at the end of the paper. Furthermore, the numerical procedures used for solving the differential and algebraic equations of flexible multibody systems are not discussed in this paper since these procedures are similar to the techniques used in rigid body dynamics. More details about these numerical procedures as well as the roots and perspectives of multibody system dynamics are discussed in a companion review by Schiehlen [79]. Future research areas in flexible multibody dynamics are identified as establishing the relationship between different formulations, contact and impact dynamics, control-structure interaction, use of modal identification and experimental methods in flexible multibody simulations, application of flexible multibody techniques to computer graphics, numerical issues, and large deformation problem. Establishing the relationship between different flexible multibody formulations is an important issue since there is a need to clearly define the assumptions and approximations underlying each formulation. This will allow us to establish guidelines and criteria that define the limitations of each approach used in flexible multibody dynamics. This task can now be accomplished by using the absolute nodal coordinate formulation which was recently introduced for the large deformation analysis of flexible multibody systems.     

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.     

An Implicit Transition Matrix Approach to Stability Analysis of Flexible Multi-Body Systems

The stability of linear systems defined by ordinarydifferential equations with constant or periodic coefficients can beassessed from the spectral radius of their transition matrix. Inclassical applications of this theory, the transition matrix isexplicitly computed first, then its eigenvalues are evaluated; if thelargest eigenvalue is larger than unity, the system is unstable. Theproposed implicit transition matrix approach extracts the dominanteigenvalues of the transition matrix using the Arnoldi algorithm,without the explicit computation of this matrix. As a result, theproposed implicit method yields stability information at a far lowercomputational cost than that of the classical approach, and is ideallysuited for stability computations of systems involving a large number ofdegrees of freedom. Examples of application of the proposed methodologyto flexible multi-body systems are presented that demonstrate itsaccuracy and computational efficiency.     

Analysis of Nonlinear Multibody Systems with Elastic Couplings

This paper is concerned with the dynamic analysis of nonlinear multibody systems involving elastic members made of laminated, anisotropic composite materials. The analysis methodology can be viewed as a three-step procedure. First, the sectional properties of beams made of composite materials are determined based on an asymptotic procedure that involves a two-dimensional finite element analysis of the cross-section. Second, the dynamic response of nonlinear, flexible multibody systems is simulated within the framework of energy-preserving and energy-decaying time-integration schemes that provide unconditional stability for nonlinear systems. Finally, local three-dimensional stresses in the beams are recovered, based on the stress resultants predicted in the previous step. Numerical examples are presented and focus on the behavior of multibody systems involving members with elastic couplings.     

An Efficient Implementation of the Recursive Approach to Flexible Multibody Dynamics

This paper deals with the efficient extension of the recursive formalism (articulated body inertia) for flexible multibody systems. Present recursive formalisms for flexible multibody systems require the inversion of the mass matrix with the dimension equal to the number of flexible degrees of freedom of particular bodies. This is completely removed. The paper describes the derivation of equations of motion expressed in the local coordinate system attached to the body, then the discretization of these equations of motion based on component mode synthesis and FEM shape functions and, finally, two versions of the new recursive formalism.     

Principle of Dynamical Balance for Multibody Systems

A new formulation for multibody system dynamics is developed based on the concept of dynamical balance. In particular, we address the problem how to compose two known subsystem dynamics to generate the equations of motion for a composite system. The principle states that dynamical balance should hold between two subsystems, or the so-called d'Alembertian wrenches and torques of two subsystems should balance each other, for composite systems. The notion of body twists and wrenches is utilized to describe the principle. According to the principle, the dynamical balance condition is obtained just by taking the dual expression of the kinematical constraint in terms of the d'Alembertian wrenches and torques of subsystem dynamics. This work was supported by the Korea Research Foundation Grant (KRF-2003-003-D00015).     

Parallel Evolutionary Optimization of Multibody Systems with Application to Railway Dynamics

The optimization of multibody systems usually requires many costlycriteria computations since the equations of motion must be evaluated bynumerical time integration for each considered design. For activelycontrolled or flexible multibody systems additional difficulties ariseas the criteria may contain non-differentiable points or many localminima.Therefore, in this paper a stochastic evolution strategy is used incombination with parallel computing in order to reduce the computationtimes whilst keeping the inherent robustness. For the parallelization amaster-slave approach is used in a heterogeneous workstation/PCcluster. The pool-of-tasks concept is applied in order to deal withthe frequently changing workloads of different machines in the cluster.In order to analyze the performance of the parallel optimizationmethod, the suspension of an ICE passenger coach, modelled as an elasticmultibody system, is optimized simultaneously with regard to severalcriteria including vibration damping and a criterion related to safetyagainst derailment. The iterative and interactive nature of a typicaloptimization process for technical systems is emphasized.     

Nonminimal Kane's Equations of Motion for Multibody Dynamical Systems Subject to Nonlinear Nonholonomic Constraints

Nonholonomic constraint equations that are nonlinear in velocities are incorporated with Kane's dynamical equations by utilizing the acceleration form of constraints, resulting in Kane's nonminimal equations of motion, i.e. the equations that involve the full set of generalized accelerations. Together with the kinematical differential equations, these equations form a state-space model that is full-order, separated in the derivatives of the states, and involves no Lagrange multipliers. The method is illustrated by using it to obtain nonminimal equations of motion for the classical Appell–Hamel problem when the constraints are modeled as nonlinear in the velocities. It is shown that this fictitious nonlinearity has a predominant effect on the numerical stability of the dynamical equations, and hence it is possible to use it for improving the accuracy of simulations. Another issue is the dynamics of constraint violations caused by integration errors due to enforcing a differentiated form of the constraint equations. To solve this problem, the acceleration form of the constraint equations is augmented with constraint stabilization terms before using it with the dynamical equations. The procedure is illustrated by stabilizing the constraint equations for a holonomically constrained particle in the gravitational field.