Effect of geometric elastic non-linearities on the impact response of flexible multi-body systems

Abstract

The intermittent motion behavior of large scale geometrically non-linear flexible multi-body systems due to impact loading is investigated. Impacts and the associated impulsive forces are incorporated into the dynamic formulation by using a generalized momentum balance. The solution of the momentum equation provides the jump discontinuities in the system velocities and reaction forces. Flexible components in the system are discretized by using the finite element method. Because of the large rotations of the system components, a set of reference co-ordinates are employed to describe the motion of a selected body reference. The rigid body modes of the finite element shape functions are eliminated by using a set of reference conditions and accordingly a unique displacement field is defined. In order to account for the inertia and elastic non-linearities which are, respectively, the results of the large rotations and finite deformations, the system inertia and stiffness characteristics have to be iteratively updated. Two numerical examples of different nature are presented. The first example is a high speed slider crank mechanism with a flexible connecting rod. In the second example, however, the dynamic response of a flexible multi-body aircraft during the touch down impact is predicted.