Elastic multibody dynamics. A direct Ritz approach (Q931615)

This textbook is an introduction to and exploration of a number of core topics in the field of applied mechanics. The book consists of introduction, eight chapters and references. In Chapter 2 the axioms and principles are shortly reported, and the central equation is presented. Chapter 3 deals with kinematics and the representation of kinematic chains for moving reference frames. Chapter 4 is devoted to rigid multibody systems. The rigid body is thereby defined such that, by relaxation of rigidity constraints, it can be directly transformed to an elastic body. The model description is then decomposed into subsystems which leads to a minimal representation of the equations of motion. A discussion on a constraint forces completes this chapter. The obtained results are applied to elastic subsystems in Chapter 5. For single elastic body it is shown that non-orthogonal rotation axes resulting from directional derivatives in analytical procedures may cause problems. This justifies the use of the projection equation. In Chapter 6 the weak formulation and the usage of direct Ritz approach, applied to simple elastic body systems, are considered. The developed procedure is applied in Chapter 7 to elastic multibody systems, where the controlled elastic robot serves for a typical example. In Chapter 8, a short excursion into stability and control is made. The book can be used by mechanical engineers, scientists and graduate students.