A new curved gradient deficient shell element of absolute nodal coordinate formulation for modeling thin shell structures

A curved gradient deficient shell element for the Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation (ANCF) is proposed for modeling initially thin curved structures. Unlike the fully parameterized elements of ANCF, a full mapping of the gradient vectors between different configurations is not available for gradient deficient elements, therefore it is cumbersome to work in a rectangular coordinate system for an initially curved element. In this study, a curvilinear coordinate system is adopted as the undeformed Lagrangian coordinates, and the Green–Lagrange strain tensor with respect to the curvilinear frame is utilized to characterize the deformation energy of the shell element. As a result, the strain due to the initially curved element shape is eliminated naturally, and the element formulation is obtained in a concise mathematical form with a clear physical interpretation. For thin structures, the simplified formulations for the evaluation of elastic forces are also given. Moreover, an approach to deal with the on-surface slope discontinuity is also proposed for modeling general curved shell structures. Finally, the developed element of ANCF is validated by several numerical examples.     

New spatial curved beam and cylindrical shell elements of gradient-deficient Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation

Based on previous studies, a new spatial curved slender-beam finite element and a new cylindrical shell finite element are proposed in the frame of gradient-deficient Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation (ANCF). The strain energy of the beam element is derived by using the definition of the Green?CLagrange strain tensor in continuum mechanics so that the assumption on small strain can be relaxed. By using the differential geometry and the continuum mechanics, the angle between two base vectors of a defined local coordinate frame of the cylindrical shell element is introduced into the strain energy formulations. Therefore, the new shell element can be used to model parallelogram shells. The analytical formulations of elastic forces and their Jacobian for the above two finite elements of gradient-deficient ANCF are also derived via the skills of tensor analysis. The generalized-alpha method is used to solve the huge set of system equations. Finally, four case studies including both static and dynamic problems are given to validate the proposed beam and cylindrical shell elements of gradient-deficient ANCF.     

Absolute nodal coordinate formulation of large-deformation piezoelectric laminated plates

The Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation (ANCF) has been initiated in 1996 by Shabana (Computational Continuum Mechanics, 3rd edn., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008). It introduces large displacements of planar and spatial finite elements relative to the global reference frame without using any local frame. A sub-family of beam, plate and cable finite elements with large deformations are proposed and employed the 3D theory of continuum mechanics. In the ANCF, the nodal coordinates consist of absolute position coordinates and gradients that can be used to define a unique rotation and deformation fields within the element. In contrast to other large deformation formulations, the equations of motion contain constant mass matrices as well as zero centrifugal and Coriolis inertia forces. The only nonlinear term is a vector of elastic forces. This investigation concerns a way to generate new finite element in the ANCF for laminated composite plates. This formulation utilizes the assumption that the bonds between the laminae are thin and shear is non-deformable. Consequently, the Equivalent Single Layer, ESL model, is implemented. In the ESL models, the laminate is assumed to deform as a single layer, assuming a smooth variation of the displacement field across the thickness. In this paper, the coupled electromechanical effect of Piezoelectric Laminated Plate is imposed within the ANCF thin plate element, in such a way as to achieve the continuity of the gradients at the nodal points, and obtain a formulation that automatically satisfies the principle of work and energy. Convergence and accuracy of the finite-element ANCF Piezoelectric Laminated Plate is demonstrated in geometrically nonlinear static and dynamic test problems, as well as in linear analysis of natural frequencies. The computer implementation and several numerical examples are presented in order to demonstrate the use of the formulation developed in this paper. A comparison with the commercial finite element package COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS () is carried out with an excellent agreement.     

Dynamic simulation of liquid-filled flexible multibody systems via absolute nodal coordinate formulation and SPH method

A new computation method is proposed to study the coupled dynamics of a partially liquid-filled flexible multibody system, where the liquid is modeled by using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method and the flexible bodies are described by using the Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation (ANCF). Extra virtual particles are introduced and embedded in the liquid neighboring the rigid or flexible boundaries in order to prevent field particles from penetrating the boundary and force them to follow the deformation of flexible boundary. The interaction forces between the liquid and the flexible multibody system are transmitted by the virtual particles. The domain decomposition is used to improve the efficiency of interaction detection in SPH computation. A predictor-corrector scheme is used to solve the governing equations of liquid discretized by SPH particles. The generalized-alpha method based on sparse matrix storage skill is used to solve a huge set of dynamic equations of the multibody system. The OpenMP+OpenACC based parallel computation skills are embedded in the iteration processes to speed up the computation efficiency. Finally, three numerical examples are given to validate the proposed computation method.     

Deployment dynamics of a simplified spinning IKAROS solar sail via absolute coordinate based method

The spinning solar sail of large scale has been well developed in recent years. Such a solar sail can be considered as a rigid-flexible multibody system mainly composed of a spinning central rigid hub, a number of flexible thin tethers, sail membranes, and tip masses. A simplified interplanetary kite-craft accelerated by radiation of the Sun (IKAROS) model is established in this study by using the absolute-coordinate-based (ACB) method that combines the natural coordinate formulation (NCF) describing the central rigid hub and the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) describing flexible parts. The initial configuration of the system in the second-stage deployment is determined through both dynamic and static analyses. The huge set of stiff equations of system dynamics is solved by using the generalized-alpha method, and thus the deployment dynamics of the system can be well understood.     

DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF SPINNING DEPLOYMENT OF A SOLAR SAIL COMPOSED OF VISCOELASTIC MEMBRANES

近年来, 可用于航天器推进的太阳帆自旋展开技术引起人们广泛关注. 这类太阳帆可视为由中心旋转毂轮、若干柔性绳索、太阳帆薄膜和集中质量等组成的刚柔耦合多体系统.为了对系统中的太阳帆薄膜进行建模, 提出了基于绝对节点坐标方法描述的黏弹性薄板单元, 并对其有效性进行了验证.针对简化的"IKAROS"自旋展开太阳帆系统, 采用结合自然坐标方法与绝对节点坐标方法的绝对坐标方法对其进行建模, 采用广义-α方法对大规模系统动力学方程进行求解.研究了黏弹性太阳帆薄膜自旋展开过程的动力学特性, 讨论了薄膜的黏弹性阻尼对自旋展开过程的影响规律.     

Dynamic analysis of a rigid-flexible inflatable space structure coupled with control moment gyroscopes

The vibration generated by the inflatable structure after deployment has a great impact on the performance of the payloads. In this paper, the influence of the control moment gyroscopes (CMGs) on the dynamic responses and characteristics of an inflatable space structure is studied, based on the flexible multibody dynamics in a combination of the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) and the natural coordinate formulation (NCF). Firstly, the ANCF and NCF are used to accurately describe the large deformations and large overall motions of flexible inflatable tubes and rigid satellites, respectively. Then, instead of modeling gyroscopic flexible bodies, this paper pioneers a rigid body dynamic model of the CMG in detail by using the NCF modeling scheme, which can be attached to and coupled with any flexible bodies without any assumptions. Then, the orbital dynamic equations of the inflatable space structure coupled with distributed CMGs are obtained by considering the effects of Coriolis force, centrifugal force, and gravity gradient through coordinate transformation. The dynamic characteristics of the inflatable space structure are also analyzed by deriving the eigenvalue problem of a flexible multibody system. Finally, the accuracy of the CMG dynamic model is verified via a classic heavy top example. Several numerical examples are presented to study the influence of the magnitudes and directions of the rotor angular momentum of the CMGs on the dynamic responses and characteristics of the inflatable space structure.

     

Modeling Method and Application of Rational Finite Element Based on Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation

In multibody system dynamics, the absolute nodal coordinate formulation(ANCF)uses power functions as interpolating polynomials to describe the displacement field. It can get accurate results for flexible bodies that undergo large deformation and large rotation. However, the power functions are irrational representation which cannot describe the complex shapes precisely, especially for circular and conic sections. Different from the ANCF representation,the rational absolute nodal coordinate formulation(RANCF) utilizes rational basis functions to describe geometric shapes, which allows the accurate representation of complicated displacement and deformation in dynamics modeling. In this paper, the relationships between the rational surface and volume and the RANCF finite element are provided, and the generalized transformation matrices are established correspondingly. Using these transformation matrices, a new four-node three-dimensional RANCF plate element and a new eight-node three-dimensional RANCF solid element are proposed based on the RANCF. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed elements. It is shown that the proposed elements can depict the geometric characteristics and structure configurations precisely, and lead to better convergence in comparison with the ANCF finite elements for the dynamic analysis of flexible bodies.     

On the formulation of the planar ANCF triangular finite elements

In this paper, new planar isoparametric triangular finite elements (FE) based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) are developed. The proposed ANCF elements have six coordinates per node: two position coordinates that define the absolute position vector of the node and four gradient coordinates that define vectors tangent to coordinate lines (parameters) at the same node. To shed light on the importance of the element geometry and to facilitate the development of some of the new elements presented in this paper, two different parametric definitions of the gradient vectors are used. The first parametrization, called area parameterization, is based on coordinate lines along the sides of the element in the reference configuration, while the second parameterization, called Cartesian parameterization, employs coordinate lines defined along the axes of the structure (body) coordinate system. The fundamental differences between the ANCF parameterizations used in this investigation and the parametrizations used for conventional finite elements are highlighted. The Cartesian parameterization serves as a unique standard for the triangular FE assembly. To this end, a transformation matrix that defines the relationship between the area and the Cartesian parameterizations is introduced for each element in order to allow for the use of standard FE assembly procedure and define the structure (body) inertia and elastic forces. Using Bezier geometry and a linear mapping, cubic displacement fields of the new ANCF triangular elements are systematically developed. Specifically, two new ANCF triangular finite elements are developed in this investigation, namely four-node mixed-coordinate and three-node ANCF triangles. The performance of the proposed new ANCF elements is evaluated by comparison with the conventional linear and quadratic triangular elements as well as previously developed ANCF rectangular and triangular elements. The results obtained in this investigation show that in the case of small and large deformations as well as finite rotations, all the elements considered can produce correct results, which are in a good agreement if appropriate mesh sizes are used.     

A piecewise beam element based on absolute nodal coordinate formulation

The element created in this investigation is based on the it absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) which has been successfully used in flexible multibody system dynamic and integration of computer aid design and analysis (ICADA). When modeling a B-spline curve with ANCF beam element, it is the common manner to convert this curve into a series of Bézier curves because the systematical conversion between ANCF beam element and a Bézier curve has already been built. In order to avoid the constrain equation produced in this method and to express a B-spline curve using only one element, an alternative approach is developed, leading to the piecewise ANCF (PANCF) beam element. It is demonstrated that when two ANCF beam elements are connected according to a particular continuity, they can constitute a PANCF element. Besides, a new PANCF element will be produced when an ANCF element is connected to an existing PANCF element. The continuity condition can be automatically ensured by the selection of nodal coordinates and the calculation of the piecewise continuous shape functions. The algorithm for converting a B-spline curve to a PANCF beam element is then given. There also are discussions on the features of PANCF element. When two neighboring segments of PANCF element have the same assumed length, the position vector at the interface cannot be expressed by the other coordinates so the position vector is preserved in the \(C^{2}\) continuous situation. Two examples are given to conclude the interpolation and continuity properties of the shape function and to demonstrate the feasibility of this PANCF in the ICADA.     

两类基于局部标架梁单元的闭锁缓解方法

对于大转动、大变形柔性体的刚柔耦合动力学问题,基于李群SE(3)局部标架(local frame formulation, LFF)的建模方法能够规避刚体运动带来的几何非线性问题,离散数值模型中广义质量矩阵与切线刚度矩阵满足刚体变换的不变性,可明显地提高柔性多体系统动力学问题的计算效率. 有限元方法中,闭锁问题是导致单元收敛性能低下的主要原因, 例如梁单元的剪切以及泊松闭锁.多变量变分原理是缓解梁、板/壳单元闭锁的有效手段. 该方法不仅离散位移场,同时离散应力场或应变场, 可提高应力与应变的计算精度. 本文基于上述局部标架,研究几类梁单元的闭锁处理方法, 包括几何精确梁(geometrically exact beam formulation, GEBF)与绝对节点坐标(absolute nodal coordinate formulation, ANCF)梁单元. 其中, 采用Hu-Washizu三场变分原理缓解几何精确梁单元中的剪切闭锁,采用应变分解法缓解基于局部标架的ANCF全参数梁单元中的泊松闭锁. 数值算例表明,局部标架的梁单元在描述高转速或大变形柔性多体系统时,可消除刚体运动带来的几何非线性, 极大地减少系统质量矩阵和刚度矩阵的更新次数.缓解闭锁后的几类局部标架梁单元收敛性均得到了明显提升.      

ANCF索梁单元应变耦合问题与模型解耦

索粱结构在土木工程、航空航天等领域有着广泛的应用.在各类索梁动力学建模方法中,由于绝对节点坐标方法(absolute nodal coordinate formulation,ANCF)能够描述柔性体的大变形和大转动问题,因此非常适合大变形索梁结构的动力学建模.对绝对节点坐标索梁单元的应变进行分析可知,弯曲变形会引起单元内部轴向应变的不均匀分布,即单元轴向应变与弯曲应变相互耦合.这种应变耦合效应使单元产生伪应变能,导致单元刚度增大,造成单元失真.分析不同弯曲角下的单元应变及应变能可知,弯曲变形越大,单元失真越严重.通过构造等效一维杆单元重新描述轴向应变,实现了轴向应变与弯曲应变解耦.在此基础上推导广义弹性力,得到了绝对节点坐标索梁单元的应变解耦模型.对解耦前后的两种梁模型进行静力学和动力学仿真,结果表明;解耦模型消除了单元伪应变,相比原模型表现出更好的收敛性和曲率连续性,在相同单元数目下具有更高的精度.同时由于解耦模型降低了单元刚度,因此相比原模型,速度曲线中不再有高频振动.     

Integration of B-spline geometry and ANCF finite element analysis

The goal of this investigation is to introduce a new computer procedure for the integration of B-spline geometry and the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) finite element analysis. The procedure is based on developing a linear transformation that can be used to transform systematically the B-spline representation to an ANCF finite element mesh preserving the same geometry and the same degree of continuity. Such a linear transformation that relates the B-spline control points and the finite element position and gradient coordinates will facilitate the integration of computer aided design and analysis (ICADA). While ANCF finite elements automatically ensure the continuity of the position and gradient vectors at the nodal points, the B-spline representation allows for imposing a higher degree of continuity by decreasing the knot multiplicity. As shown in this investigation, a higher degree of continuity can be systematically achieved using ANCF finite elements by imposing linear algebraic constraint equations that can be used to eliminate nodal variables. The analysis presented in this study shows that continuity of the curvature vector and its derivative which corresponds in the cubic B-spline representation to zero knot multiplicity can be systematically achieved using ANCF finite elements. In this special case, as the knot multiplicity reduces to zero, the recurrence B-spline formula causes two segments to automatically blend together forming one cubic segment defined on a larger domain. Similarly in this special case, the algebraic constraint equations required for the C ³ continuity convert two ANCF cubic finite elements to one finite element, demonstrating the strong relationship between the B-spline representation and the ANCF finite element representation. For the same order of interpolation, higher degree of continuity at the finite element interface can lead to a coarser mesh and to a lower dimensional model. Using the B-spline/ANCF finite element transformation developed in this paper, the equations of motion of a finite element mesh that represents exactly the B-spline geometry can be developed. Because of the linearity of the transformation developed in this investigation, all the ANCF finite element desirable features are preserved; including the constant mass matrix that can be used to develop an optimum sparse matrix structure of the nonlinear multibody system dynamic equations.     

Topology optimization of a flexible multibody system with variable-length bodies described by ALE–ANCF

Recent years have witnessed the application of topology optimization to flexible multibody systems (FMBS) so as to enhance their dynamic performances. In this study, an explicit topology optimization approach is proposed for an FMBS with variable-length bodies via the moving morphable components (MMC). Using the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) formulation, the thin plate elements of the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) are used to describe the platelike bodies with variable length. For the thin plate element of ALE–ANCF, the elastic force and additional inertial force, as well as their Jacobians, are analytically deduced. In order to account for the variable design domain, the sets of equivalent static loads are reanalyzed by introducing the actual and virtual design domains so as to transform the topology optimization problem of dynamic response into a static one. Finally, the novel MMC-based topology optimization method is employed to solve the corresponding static topology optimization problem by explicitly evolving the shapes and orientations of a set of structural components. The effect of the minimum feature size on the optimization of an FMBS is studied. Three numerical examples are presented to validate the accuracy of the thin plate element of ALE–ANCF and the efficiency of the proposed topology optimization approach, respectively.     

Nonstructural geometric discontinuities in finite element/multibody system analysis

Existing multibody system (MBS) algorithms treat articulated system components that are not rigidly connected as separate bodies connected by joints that are governed by nonlinear algebraic equations. As a consequence, these MBS algorithms lead to a highly nonlinear system of coupled differential and algebraic equations. Existing finite element (FE) algorithms, on the other hand, do not lead to a constant mesh inertia matrix in the case of arbitrarily large relative rigid body rotations. In this paper, new FE/MBS meshes that employ linear connectivity conditions and allow for arbitrarily large rigid body displacements between the finite elements are introduced. The large displacement FE absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) is used to obtain linear element connectivity conditions in the case of large relative rotations between the finite elements of a mesh. It is shown in this paper that a linear formulation of pin (revolute) joints that allow for finite relative rotations between two elements connected by the joint can be systematically obtained using ANCF finite elements. The algebraic joint constraint equations, which can be introduced at a preprocessing stage to efficiently eliminate redundant position coordinates, allow for deformation modes at the pin joint definition point, and therefore, this new joint formulation can be considered as a generalization of the pin joint formulation used in rigid MBS analysis. The new pin joint deformation modes that are the result of C ⁰ continuity conditions, allow for the calculations of the pin joint strains which can be discontinuous as the result of the finite relative rotation between the elements. This type of discontinuity is referred to in this paper as nonstructural discontinuity in order to distinguish it from the case of structural discontinuity in which the elements are rigidly connected. Because ANCF finite elements lead to a constant mass matrix, an identity generalized mass matrix can be obtained for the FE mesh despite the fact that the finite elements of the mesh are not rigidly connected. The relationship between the nonrational ANCF finite elements and the B-spline representation is used to shed light on the potential of using ANCF as the basis for the integration of computer aided design and analysis (I-CAD-A). When cubic interpolation is used in the FE/ANCF representation, C ⁰ continuity is equivalent to a knot multiplicity of three when computational geometry methods such as B-splines are used. C ² ANCF models which ensure the continuity of the curvature and correspond to B-spline knot multiplicity of one can also be obtained. Nonetheless, B-spline and NURBS representations cannot be used to effectively model T-junctions that can be systematically modeled using ANCF finite elements which employ gradient coordinates that can be conveniently used to define element orientations in the reference configuration. Numerical results are presented in order to demonstrate the use of the new formulation in developing new chain models.     

Theory and model implementation for analyzing line structures subject to dynamic motions of large deformation and elongation using the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) approach

This paper presents the theory development and numerical implementation of a new gradient-deficient-based ANCF (Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation) model applied to perform the nonlinear dynamic analysis of elastic line structures subject to large stretching and deformation. The derivations of model equations, introduced numerical approaches, and result validations are the focuses of this study. Different from the traditional rod theory for small stretching consideration, the present model implements the line structures’ large elongation concepts into both the control mechanisms of constitutive formulations and equations of motion. The effect of external hydrodynamic forces on structures is also included in the model formulations. Based on the conservation of energy, the line model developed in this study covers the variation in strain and takes a full account of the bending effect with large stretching. A finite-element-based implicit scheme according to a modified Newmark-beta method is employed to solve the assembled system equations with unknown variables of nodal position vectors, their tangential derivatives, and strains. Selected cases with dynamic motions, such as nonlinear oscillation of a compound pendulum, free falling of a horizontal elastic beam in air with two different settings of gravity, free falling of a submerged horizontal tether with and without an attached concentrated mass, and a submerged vertical tether with a prescribed translational motion, are simulated to verify the developed model by comparing the results with analytical solutions and published experimental data and numerical results. It is found the present ANCF model, as noticed with good matched results with analytical solutions, measurements and other published solutions, is demonstrated to be able to provide converged and reasonably accurate predictions on the responses of line structures subject to large dynamic motions.

     

Fractal patterns from the dynamics of combined polynomial root finding methods

A solid tetrahedral finite element employing the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) is presented. In the ANCF, the mass matrix and vector of the generalized gravity forces used in the equations of motion are constant, whereas the vector of the elastic forces is highly nonlinear. The proposed solid element uses translations of nodes as sets of nodal coordinates. The tetrahedral shape of the element makes it suitable for modeling structures with complex shapes, and the small number of the degrees of freedom enables good performance and versatile application to problems of structural dynamics. The accuracy and convergence of the element were investigated using statics and dynamics benchmarks and a practical industry application.     

一种O(n)算法复杂度的递推绝对节点坐标法研究

相比于传统的浮动坐标法,绝对节点坐标法(absolute nodal coordinate formulation,ANCF)在处理柔性体非线性大变形问题上具有显著优势,但是对于ANCF的求解目前主要依据拉格朗日方程等分析力学原理建立微分代数方程(differential algebraic equation,DAE)进行,其算法复杂度为O(n2)或O(n3)(n为系统自由度),且求解过程存在位置或速度的违约问题.据此,研究了一种O(n)算法复杂度的递推绝对节点坐标法(recursive absolute nodal coordinate formulation,RANCF).该方法采用ANCF描述大变形柔性体,借鉴铰接体递推算法(articulatedbody algorithm,ABA)思路建立多柔体系统逐单元的运动学和动力学递推关系,得到微分形式的系统动力学方程(ordinary differential equation,ODE).在ODE方程中,系统广义质量阵为三对角块矩阵,通过恰当的矩阵处理,可以得到逐单元求解该方程的递推算法.在此基础上,给出了RANCF算法的详细流程,并对流程中每个步骤进行了细致的算法效率分析,证明了RANCF是算法复杂度为O(n)的高效算法.RANCF方法保留了ANCF对大转动、大变形多柔体系统精确计算的优点,同时极大地提升了算法效率,特别在处理高自由度复杂多柔体系统中具有显著优势.并且该方法采用ODE求解,无DAE的违约问题,因此具有更高的算法精度.最后,在算例部分,通过MSC.ADAMS仿真软件、能量守恒测试、算法复杂度曲线对RANCF的正确性、计算精度和计算效率进行了验证.     

Numerical investigation of the slope discontinuities in large deformation finite element formulations

In many multibody system applications, the system components are made of structural elements that can have different orientations, leading to slope discontinuities. In this paper, a numerical investigation of a new procedure that can be used to model structures with slope discontinuities in the finite element absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) is presented. This procedure can be applied to model slope discontinuities in the case of commutative rotations of gradient deficient elements that are used for modeling thin beam and plate structures. An important special case to which the proposed procedure can be applied is the case of all planar gradient deficient ANCF finite elements. The use of the proposed method leads to a constant orthogonal element transformation that describes an arbitrary initial configuration. As a consequence, one obtains, in the case of large commutative rotations and large deformations, a constant mass matrix for structures which have complex geometry. The procedure used in this investigation to model slope discontinuities requires the use of the concept of the intermediate finite element coordinate system. For each finite element, a new set of gradient coordinates that define, at the discontinuity node, the element deformation with respect to the intermediate element coordinate system is introduced. These new gradient coordinates are assumed to be equal for the two finite elements at the point of intersection. That is, the change of the gradients of two elements at the intersection point from their respective intermediate initial reference configuration is assumed to be the same. This procedure leads to a set of linear algebraic equations that define the orthogonal transformation matrix for the finite element. Numerical examples are presented in order to demonstrate the use of the proposed procedure for modeling slope discontinuities.     

完备化ANCF薄板单元及在钢板弹簧动力学建模中的应用

绝对节点坐标方法已在多体系统动力学研究中广泛应用, 但常用来描述板壳类结构的薄板单元, 由于梯度不完备而无法直接用于带有初始弯曲参考构型的柔性体变形描述. 为避免全参数板单元建立车辆钢板弹簧模型时存在的严重截面闭锁问题, 拟采用薄板单元用于板簧建模. 为此, 探索了将现有绝对节点坐标薄板单元纳入一般连续介质力学弹性力表达的方法, 采用中面上单位法向量作为单元厚度方向的梯度向量, 从而得到了完备化的薄板单元及其描述初始弯曲构型时消除初应变的方法. 在此基础上通过定义簧片的未变形构型, 在钢板弹簧中引入可控的预应力, 实现对钢板弹簧装配过程的准确模拟. 通过数值算例验证了本方法的正确性. 建立了车辆钢板弹簧模型, 通过建立在簧片上的局部坐标系实现接触点的跨单元搜索, 并采用惩罚函数法和平滑化的库伦摩擦模型施加簧片间的接触力. 引入参考节点的概念建立了整合车身与吊耳及其机构运动关系的刚柔耦合模型.}}