The dynamics of flexible multibody systems: A finite segment approach—II. Example problems

Abstract

Modelling the dynamics of flexible multibody systems is a difficult problem. There has been much discussion about how to approach this problem. This paper presents a method in which the flexibility may be included in the dynamical analysis. The method has distinct advantages over other proposed methods. The dynamical formulation is based on Kane's equations. The flexibility is modelled by using springs and dampers at the joints of the system. The stiffness and damping coefficients of these are found using the physical properties of the members. These are then incorporated into the equations of motion. Part I of this paper discusses the theoretical aspects of this type of analysis, while part II shows two example problems.