Dynamic Modeling and Analysis of Thrust Reverser Mechanism Considering Clearance Joints and Flexible Component

Abstract

As a high-precision motion mechanism, the kinematics and dynamics of cascade thrust reverser are sensitive to the changes of nonlinear factors which are rarely considered in traditional dynamic modeling and optimization. In order to study the effect of nonlinear factors on the dynamics behavior of cascade thrust reverser mechanism, the dynamic model considering joint clearance and flexible component is established. Lankarani–Nikravesh and modified-Coulomb model are used to establish the contact force at the clearance, and the flexible component in the mechanism is modeled by the absolute node coordinate method. The effects of joint clearance value, clearance position, flexible component, and driving speed on the dynamic response of the mechanism are studied. Specifically, the nonlinear characteristics of the mechanism increase with the clearance value, and the joint clearance near the mobile fairing has greater influence on the kinematics and dynamics of blocker door. For the mechanical system with clearances, the flexible component can partially reduce the vibration of the system. The analysis of the motion synchronization of the thrust reverser actuators indicates that the asynchronous movement of actuators may increase the driving forces of actuators especially for the middle actuator.