Computer system for kinematic and dynamic analysis synthesis of rigid and flexible multibody systems

In the paper an overview of a general numerical algorithm and program system library for deriving the kinematic constraint equations and dynamic equations of motion, as well as, computation of their first and second order partial derivatives with respect to kinematic parameters of motion, design parameters and mass and inertia characteristics for rigid and flexible multibody systems is presented. These are the main basic computational modules for implementation of kinematic and dynamic synthesis, optimization and design. The main theoretical basis consists in matrix methods for deriving the kinematic constraints and dynamic equations, as well as, the generalized Newton – Euler dynamic equations for rigid and flexible bodies, and finite element discretization in relative coordinates. Block–scheme of the computational procedures and problem oriented program compilation is presented. An example of kinematic synthesis of six–link path generating mechanism with singular points is presented. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Modelling and identification of rigid‐body dynamics of parallel kinematic structures

A new approach for modelling the dynamics of parallel kinematic (PKM) structures is presented in this paper. It leads to a formulation of the dynamic equations which is linear with respect to a dynamic parameter vector of minimal dimension. Thus, the equations can be directly used for parameter identi.cation by linear estimation techniques. The algorithm utilises Jourdain 's principle of virtual power which leads to very efficient resulting code. The parameter reduction is based on opening the kinematic loops so that analytic rules known from serial robots can be implemented. Additionally, a new approach for dynamic parameter identification is suggested. The application to modelling the PKM PaLiDa and identifying its gravitational parameters proves the capacity of the presented approaches.     

Sensitivity analysis of stationary performance measures for Markov chains

Derivative estimation is an important problem in performance analysis of discrete event dynamic systems. Derivative estimation of stationary performance measures is difficult since it generally requires the consistency of estimators.This paper proposes an algorithm for derivative estimation of stationary performance measures for Markov chains. Both discrete-time and continuous-time chains are considered. The basic idea is to simulate the original Markov chain with a modified performance measure which can be estimated by extra simulations. The computational load of the extra simulations at each step is bounded. It is shown under mild assumptions that the algorithm attains the best possible rate of convergence as the simulation time goes to infinity. An unexpected connection between the algorithm and solutions to Poisson equations is also revealed.     

An algorithm for minimax

An algorithm is proposed for computing an unconstrained minimax, based on differential equations with suitable stabilization terms. Methods for accelerating the convergence are discussed. For computing a constrained minimax, the augmented Lagrangian algorithm of Powell, Hestenes and Rockafellar is generalized to minimax, assuming the unconstrained minimax algorithm as a subroutine. An estimate of the convergence rate is obtained.     

Comparison between mathematical modeling and experimental identification of a spatial slider–crank mechanism

In this paper, Hamilton’s principle, Lagrange multiplier, geometric constraints, partitioning method and Baumgarte stabilization method (BSM) are employed to derive the dynamic equations of a spatial slider–crank mechanism that is driven by a servomotor. The formulation considers the effects of links masses, external forces and motor electric inputs. Comparing dynamic responses between the experimental results and numerical simulations, dynamic modeling gives a wonderful interpretation for the spatial slider–crank mechanism. In this paper, a new identification method based on real-coded genetic algorithm (RGA) is presented to identify the parameters of a spatial slider–crank mechanism. The method promotes the calculation efficiency very much, and is calculated by real-code without the operations of encoding and decoding. The results of numerical simulations and experimental results prove that the identification method is feasible. The contributions of this paper are that the comparison of mathematical modeling and identification between numerical simulations and experimental results are all realized.     

Non-linearity of multibody dynamic equations with respect to Lagrange multipliers: application to railway dynamics

In this paper, the dynamics of multibody systems with closed kinematical chains of bodies is considered. The main focus is set on non-linearity of the multibody equations with respect to the Lagrange multipliers. When closed chains are considered, loop cutting procedure is a solution to express the constraint equations associated with the loops. Dynamic equations of the multibody tree-like structure are thus completed with the constraint forces via the Lagrange multipliers. In the considered case of railway vehicles, constraints arise from the contact between the rigid wheels and the rails. Corresponding contact forces applied to the wheels appears via the Lagrange multipliers λ and the tangent creep forces as well. Resulting differential-algebraic equations can be transformed into an ODE system and then time-integrated using the coordinate partitioning method [3], when the system is linear with respect to λ. This paper presents an algorithm allowing us to solve this system in case of nonlinearities with respect to λ, which is typical of wheel/rail contact force models. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

New algorithms for determining the inertial orientation of an object

Kinematic equations and algorithms for the operation of strapdown inertial navigation systems intended for the high-accuracy determination of the inertial orientation parameters (the Euler (Rodrigues–Hamilton) parameters) of a moving object are considered. Together with classical orientation equations, Hamilton's quaternions and new kinematic differential equations in four-dimensional (quaternion) skew-symmetric operators are used that are matched with the classical rotation quaternion and the quaternion rotation matrix using Cayley's formulae. New methods for solving the synthesized kinematic equations are considered: a one-step quaternion orientation algorithm of third-order accuracy and two-step algorithms of third- and fourth-order accuracy in four-dimensional skew-symmetric operators for calculating the parameters of the spatial position of an object. The algorithms were constructed using the Picard method of successive approximations and employ primary integral information from measurements of the absolute angular velocity of the object as the input information, and have advantages over existing algorithms of a similar order with respect to their accuracy and simplicity.     

Automatic energy–momentum conserving time integrators for hyperelastic waves

An energy–momentum conserving time integrator coupled with an automatic finite element algorithm is developed to study longitudinal wave propagation in hyperelastic layers. The Murnaghan strain energy function is used to model material nonlinearity and full geometric nonlinearity is considered. An automatic assembly algorithm using algorithmic differentiation is developed within a discrete Hamiltonian framework to directly formulate the finite element matrices without recourse to an explicit derivation of their algebraic form or the governing equations. The algorithm is illustrated with applications to longitudinal wave propagation in a thin hyperelastic layer modeled with a two-mode kinematic model. Solution obtained using a standard nonlinear finite element model with Newmark time stepping is provided for comparison.     

Forced Vibration of Three-Layered Spherical and Ellipsoidal Shells under Axisymmetric Loads

A variant of vibration theory for three-layered shells of revolution under axisymmetric loads is elaborated by applying independent kinematic and static hypotheses to each layer, with account of transverse normal and shear strains in the core. Based on the Reissner variational principle for dynamic processes, equations of nonlinear vibrations and natural boundary conditions are obtained. The numerical method proposed for solving initial boundary-value problems is based on the use of integrodifferential approach for constructing finite-difference schemes with respect to spatial and time coordinates. Numerical solutions are obtained for dynamic deformations of open three-layered spherical and ellipsoidal shells, over a wide range of geometric and physical parameters of the core, for different types of boundary conditions. A comparative analysis is given for the results of investigating the dynamic behavior of three-layered shells of revolution by the equations proposed and the shell equations of Timoshenko and Kirhhoff-Love type, with the use of unified hypotheses across the heterogeneous structure of shells.     

Robust position/force control of multiple robots using neural networks

The control of multiple redundant robots, whose end-effectors grasp an object, involves complex control tasks. First, the multiple robotic system, for a cooperative task, forms closed kinematic chains that impose additional kinematic and dynamic constraints. Second, the interactive actions among the robots through the object lead to the essential need to control position and interactive force, simultaneously. Finally, the structured and unstructured uncertainties of the system may cause the system to be unstable. In this paper, a robust controller, which compensates the uncertainties of the dynamic system of the multiple robotic system, is presented in order to obtain good tracking performance of position and force, simultaneously, while satisfying the constraint conditions among the robots. A neural network architecture is proposed as one approach to the design and implementation of the robust controller. In particular, an on-line learning rule is provided for reportedly assigned tasks so that the system is robust to the structured/unstructured uncertainties; and the controller adjusts itself repeatedly to improve the performance progressively for each repeated task.     

Modelling of three-dimensional mechanical systems using point coordinates with a recursive approach

In this paper, the dynamic simulation of constrained mechanical systems that are interconnected of rigid bodies is studied using projection recursive algorithm. The method uses the concepts of linear and angular momentums to generate the rigid body equations of motion in terms of the Cartesian coordinates of a dynamically equivalent constrained system of particles, without introducing any rotational coordinates and the corresponding rotational transformation matrix. Closed-chain system is transformed to open-chain by cutting suitable kinematical joints and introducing cut-joint constraints. For the resulting open-chain system, the equations of motion are generated recursively along the serial chains. An example is chosen to demonstrate the generality and simplicity of the developed formulation.     

Automatic synthesis of kinematic structures of mechanisms and robots especially for those with complex structures

Structural synthesis of kinematic structures of mechanisms and robots is the first step in conceptual design. This paper proposes an automatic method for the structural synthesis of closed mechanisms and robots, even for those very complex structures seldom addressed till now. Loop theory based method is proposed to solve the problem of rigid sub-chain detection. The unique representation of graphs is obtained and used to detect isomorphism between kinematic chains. A human–machine interactive synthesis program is also developed, and the required kinematic structures of mechanisms and robots can be synthesized automatically. Some synthesis examples are given to show the efficiency and effectiveness of the method. The method is also helpful for automatic synthesizing other kinds of structures which can be represented by closed loop graphs, such as truss structures and molecular structures of organic substances.     

Integral geometry of unitary area measures

The existence of kinematic formulas for area measures with respect to any connected, closed subgroup of the orthogonal group acting transitively on the unit sphere is established. In particular, the kinematic operator for area measures is shown to have the structure of a co-product. In the case of the unitary group the algebra associated to this co-product is described explicitly in terms of generators and relations. As a consequence, a simple algorithm that yields explicit kinematic formulas for unitary area measures is obtained.     

Automatic finite element formulation and assembly of hyperelastic higher order structural models

The formulation of higher order structural models and their discretization using the finite element method is difficult owing to their complexity, especially in the presence of nonlinearities. In this work a new algorithm for automating the formulation and assembly of hyperelastic higher-order structural finite elements is developed. A hierarchic series of kinematic models is proposed for modeling structures with special geometries and the algorithm is formulated to automate the study of this class of higher order structural models. The algorithm developed in this work sidesteps the need for an explicit derivation of the governing equations for the individual kinematic modes. Using a novel procedure involving a nodal degree-of-freedom based automatic assembly algorithm, automatic differentiation and higher dimensional quadrature, the relevant finite element matrices are directly computed from the variational statement of elasticity and the higher order kinematic model. Another significant feature of the proposed algorithm is that natural boundary conditions are implicitly handled for arbitrary higher order kinematic models. The validity algorithm is illustrated with examples involving linear elasticity and hyperelasticity.     

Motion equations of cooperative multi flexible mobile manipulator via recursive Gibbs–Appell formulation

In this paper, the developed model of an N-flexible-link mobile manipulator with revolute-prismatic joints is presented for the cooperative flexible multi mobile manipulator. In this model, the deformation of flexible links is calculated by using the assumed modes method. In additions, non-holonomic constraints of the robots’ mobile platforms that bound its locomotion are considered. This limitation is alleviated through the concurrent motion of revolute and prismatic joints, although it results in computational complexity and changes the final motion equations to time-varying form. Not only is the proposed dynamic model implemented for the multi-mobile manipulators with arms having independent motion, but also for multi-mobile manipulators in cooperation after defining gripper's kinematic constraints. These constraints are imported to the dynamic equations by defining Lagrange multipliers. The recursive Gibbs–Appell formulation is preferred over other similar approaches owing to the capability of solving the equations without the need to use Lagrange multipliers for eliminating non-holonomic constraints in addition to the novel optimized process of obtaining system equations. Hence, cumbersome simultaneous computations for eliminating the constraints of platform and arms are circumvented. Therefore, this formulation is improved for the first time by importing Lagrange multipliers for solving kinematic constrained systems. In the simulation section, the results of forward dynamics solution for two flexible single-arm manipulators with revolute-prismatic joints while carrying a rigid object are presented. Inverse dynamics equations of the system are also presented to obtain the maximum dynamic load-carrying capacity of the two-rigid-link mobile manipulators on a predefined path. Two constraints, namely the capacity of joint motors torque and robot motion stability are considered as the limitation criteria. The concluded motion equations are used to accurately control the movement of sensitive bodies, which is not achievable through the use of one platform.     

Closure method for spatially averaged dynamics of particle chains

We study the closure problem for continuum balance equations that model the mesoscale dynamics of large ODE systems. The underlying microscale model consists of classical Newton equations of particle dynamics. As a mesoscale model we use the balance equations for spatial averages obtained earlier by a number of authors: Murdoch and Bedeaux, Hardy, Noll and others. The momentum balance equation contains a flux (stress), which is given by an exact function of particle positions and velocities. We propose a method for approximating this function by a sequence of operators applied to the average density and momentum. The resulting approximate mesoscopic models are systems in closed form. The closed form property allows one to work directly with the mesoscale equations without the need to calculate the underlying particle trajectories, which is useful for the modeling and simulation of large particle systems. The proposed closure method utilizes the theory of ill-posed problems, in particular iterative regularization methods for solving first order linear integral equations. The closed form approximations are obtained in two steps. First, we use Landweber regularization to (approximately) reconstruct the interpolants of the relevant microscale quantities from the average density and momentum. Second, these reconstructions are substituted into the exact formulas for stress. The developed general theory is then applied to non-linear oscillator chains. We conduct a detailed study of the simplest zero-order approximation, and show numerically that it works well as long as the fluctuations of velocity are nearly constant.     

Stabilization and optimal decay rate for a non-homogeneous rotating body-beam with dynamic boundary controls

In this paper, we consider the boundary stabilization of a flexible beam attached to the center of a rigid disk. The disk rotates with a non-uniform angular velocity while the beam has non-homogeneous spatial coefficients. To stabilize the system, we propose a feedback law which consists of a control torque applied on the disk and either a dynamic boundary control moment or a dynamic boundary control force or both of them applied at the free end of the beam. By the frequency multiplier method, we show that no matter how non-homogeneous the beam is, and no matter how the angular velocity is varying but not exceeding a certain bound, the nonlinear closed loop system is always exponential stable. Furthermore, by the spectral analysis method, it is shown that the closed loop system with uniform angular velocity has a sequence of generalized eigenfunctions, which form a Riesz basis for the state space, and hence the spectrum-determined growth condition as well as the optimal decay rate are obtained.     

On an algorithm for finding the electric potential distribution in the DG-MOSFET transistor

An efficient numerical algorithm for finding the electric potential distribution in the DG-MOSFET transistor is proposed and discussed in detail. The class of hydrodynamic models describing the charge transport in semiconductors includes the Poisson equation for the electric potential. Since the equations of hydrodynamic models are nonlinear and involve small parameters and specific conditions on the boundary of the DG-MOSFET transistor domain, the numerical solution of the Poisson equation meets significant difficulties. An original algorithm is proposed that is based on the stabilization method and the idea of schemes without saturation and helps to cope with these difficulties.     

On the constitutive inequalities and acceleration waves in micropolar media

Acceleration waves in nonlinear thermoelastic micropolar media are considered. We establish the kinematic and dynamic compatibility relations for a singular surface of order 2 in the media. An analogy to the Fresnel–Hadamard–Duhem theorem and an expression for the acoustic tensor are derived. The condition for acceleration wave's propagation is formulated as an algebraic spectral problem. It is shown that the condition coincides with the strong ellipticity of equilibrium equations. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)