Numerical solution of static and dynamic equations of cables

The mechanical equations of an extensible, perfectly flexible curvilinear material (cable) are formulated. The static problem can be solved either by a minimization technique or by an iterative finite difference method which also permits dealing with forces that are not derived from a potential. In the dynamic alternative the solution of the equations is obtained from finite difference discretization explicit in time - this can apply to different kinds of constitutive laws and to different kinds of boundary conditions. Application of these numerical methods to electric transmission lines subject to electromagnetic forces shows a good agreement between computation and experimental data.