Dynamics analysis of 2-DOF complex planar mechanical system with joint clearance and flexible links

Joint clearance and flexible links are two important factors that affect the dynamic behaviors of planar mechanical system. Traditional dynamics studies of planar mechanism rarely take into account both influence of revolute clearance and flexible links, which results in lower accuracy. And many dynamics studies mainly focus on simple mechanism with clearance, the study of complex mechanism with clearance is a few. In order to study dynamic behaviors of two-degree-of-freedom (DOF) complex planar mechanical system more precisely, the dynamic analyses of the mechanical system with joint clearance and flexibility of links are studied in this work. Nonlinear dynamic model of the 2-DOF nine-bar mechanical system with revolute clearance and flexible links is built by Lagrange and finite element method (FEM). Normal and tangential force of the clearance joint is built by the Lankarani–Nikravesh and modified Coulomb’s friction models. The influences of clearance value and driving velocity of the crank on the dynamic behaviors are researched, including motion responses of slider, contact force, driving torques of cranks, penetration depth, shaft center trajectory, Phase diagram, Lyapunov exponents and Poincaré map of clearance joint and slider are both analyzed, respectively. Bifurcation diagrams under different clearance values and different driving velocities of cranks are also investigated. The results show that clearance joint and flexibility of links have a certain impact on dynamic behavior of mechanism, and flexible links can partly decrease dynamic response of the mechanical system with clearance relative to rigid mechanical system with clearance.