Steady-state analysis of multibody systems with reference to vehicle dynamics

This paper presents a systematic methodology and formulation for determining the steady-state response of multibody systems. The equations of motion for a general multibody system are described in terms of a set of relative joint accelerations. Then, the differential equations of motion are converted to a set of algebraic equations for the steady-state response. These equations are derived based upon a set of conditions that must exist for the steady state. The application of this formulation in determining the steady-state response of a vehicle moving in a circular path is shown. The multibody model of the vehicle for two- or four-wheel steering is presented. The results of the steady-state simulation are compared with those obtained from a transient dynamic analysis.