Kinematostatic modeling of compliant parallel mechanisms

The benefits of compliant mechanisms in terms of precision are not easy to exploit because of the limitations of the existing kinematic models used to analyze them. In practice, compliant mechanisms are more sensitive to external wrenches than conventional mechanisms. In this paper, based on the kinematic constraints and the static equilibrium between the joint coordinates and the external wrenches, a general kinematostatic model of compliant parallel mechanisms is presented. Then, this model is differentiated to provide a quasi-static model that makes it possible to calculate the variation of the pose as a linear function of the motion of the actuators and the variation of the external loads through two new matrices: the quasi-static Jacobian matrix and the Cartesian compliance matrix that give a simple and meaningful formulation of the model of the mechanism.     

A validated model for a pin-slot clearance joint

The numerical modeling of joints with a certain amount of clearance and a subsequent validation of the model are important for accurate multibody simulations. For such validated modeling, not only the kinematic constraints, but also the contact models, are important. If a joint has no clearance, it is assumed to be ideal. However, in real applications, there is frequently some clearance in the joints. Adding clearance and kinematic conditions to a pin-slot joint significantly increases the number of kinematic and contact parameters. Consequently, the resulting kinematics and the contact forces can vary significantly with regard to the selection of those parameters. This research covers the development of a validated model for a pin-slot clearance joint. Different kinematic constraints and contact models are discussed. The presented model is an experimentally validated one for a pin-slot clearance joint that is commonly used in safety-critical applications like electrical circuit breakers. Special attention is given to the Hertz, Kelvin–Voigt, Johnson, and Lankarani–Nikravesh contact models. When comparing different contact models within numerical approaches and comparing the results with experimental data, significant differences in the results were observed. With a validated model of a pin-slot clearance joint, a physically consistent numerical simulation was obtained.     

基于节点密度的柔性机构的拓扑优化设计

针对连续体结构拓扑优化中出现的棋盘格式问题提出了一种新的以节点密度作为设计变量的优化方法,从而使设计区域内的密度场函数具有C0连续性。建立了以互能和应变能比值为目标函数的柔性机构拓扑优化数学模型,推导了基于节点密度的柔性机构敏度计算的解析表达式。应用节点密度法对典型算例进行了拓扑优化计算,计算结果表明不需要借助滤波处理,节点密度法就能够得到具有清晰拓扑结构的优化结果,真实地反映了机构的结构细节。     

基于水平集方法的均布式柔性机构的拓扑优化设计

提出一种利用水平集方法进行均布武柔性机构设计的新方法.根据水平集边界表达方法中具有几何信息的特点,将图像分析中的二次能量函数引入到水平集模型中,以控制柔性机构拓扑优化设计结果的几何尺寸,得到等宽带状均布的柔性机构,较好地解决了传统柔性机构拓扑优化中容易出现单点铰链问题.应用半隐式的加性分裂算子(AOS)算法求解水平集方程,松弛了逆风格式中CFL(Courant-Frie drichs-Lewy)条件对时间步长的限制,提高了求解效率.通过一个典型的二维算例来验证方法的有效性.     

Experiment research and dynamic behavior analysis of multi-link mechanism with wearing clearance joint

Nonlinear Dynamics - Irregular wear is one of the main reasons leading to the failure of mechanical equipment and mechanical parts. The coupling between irregular wear and system dynamic behavior...     

Dynamic analysis of planar mechanisms with revolute clearance joints based on two evaluation indices

Joint clearance is one of the most important factors that influence the dynamic performance of a mechanical system. In this study, a quantitative analysis method, which contains two clearance effect evaluation indices that can better evaluate influence of clearance joints on the dynamic performance of the mechanisms, is proposed. A dynamic modeling approach of planar mechanisms with clearance joints is introduced. A crank-slider mechanism with multiple clearance revolute joints is studied to support the proposed analysis methodology. Besides, different dynamic responses generated by different materials of the clearance joints are also investigated based on the clearance effect evaluation indices.     

Chaotic characteristic analysis of spatial parallel mechanism with clearance in spherical joint

Nonlinear Dynamics - The spherical joint is one of the main motion pairs in spatial parallel mechanism, and the spherical clearance has a great effect on the nonlinear dynamic performance of...     

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.     

Investigation on effect of joint clearance on dynamics of four-bar mechanism

As a result of design, manufacturing and assembly processes or a wear effect, clearances are inevitable at the joints of mechanisms. In this study, dynamic response of mechanism having revolute joints with clearance is investigated. A four-bar mechanism having two joints with clearance is considered as a model mechanism. A neural network was used to model several characteristics of joint clearance. Kinematic and dynamic analyses were achieved using continuous contact mode between journal and bearing. A genetic algorithm was also used to determine the appropriate values of design variables for reducing the additional vibration effect due primarily to the joint clearance. The results show that the optimal adjusting of suitable design variables gives a certain decrease in shaking forces and their moments on the mechanism frame.     

Design and analysis of a compliant parallel pan-tilt platform

In combination of the advantages of both parallel mechanisms and compliant mechanisms, a compliant parallel mechanism with two rotational degrees of freedom is designed to meet the requirement of a lightweight and compact pan-tilt platform. Firstly, two commonly-used design methods i.e. direct substitution and Freedom and Constraint Topology are applied to design the configuration of the pan-tilt system, and similarities and differences of the two design alternatives are compared. Then inverse kinematic analysis of the candidate mechanism is implemented by using the pseudo-rigid-body model, and the Jacobian related to its differential kinematics is further derived to help designer realize dynamic analysis of the 8R compliant mechanism. In addition, the mechanism’s maximum stress existing within its workspace is tested by finite element analysis. Finally, a method to determine joint damping of the flexure hinge is presented, which aims at exploring the effect of joint damping on actuator selection and real-time control. To the authors’ knowledge, almost no existing literature concerns with this issue.     

Comparison and analysis of two Coulomb friction models on the dynamic behavior of slider-crank mechanism with a revolute clearance joint

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of the Coulomb dry friction model versus the modified Coulomb friction model on the dynamic behavior of the slider-crank mechanism with a revolute clearance joint. The normal and tangential forces acting on the contact points between the journal and the bearing are described by using a Hertzian-based contact force model and the Coulomb friction models, respectively. The dynamic equations of the mechanism are derived based on the Lagrange equations of the first kind and the Baumgarte stabilization method. The frictional force is solved via the linear complementarity problem (LCP) algorithm and the trial-and-error algorithm. Finally, three numerical examples are given to show the influence of the two Coulomb friction models on the dynamic behavior of the mechanism. Numerical results show that due to the stick friction, the slider-crank mechanism may exhibit stick-slip motion and can balance at some special positions, while the mechanism with ideal joints cannot.     

Camber effects in the dynamic aeroelasticity of compliant airfoils

This paper numerically investigates the effect of chordwise flexibility on the dynamic stability of compliant airfoils. A classical two-dimensional aeroelastic model is expanded with an additional degree of freedom to capture time-varying camber deformations, defined by a parabolic bending profile of the mean aerodynamic chord. Aerodynamic forces are obtained from unsteady thin airfoil theory and the corresponding compliant-airfoil inertia and stiffness from finite-element analysis. V–g and state-space stability methods have been implemented in order to compute flutter speeds. The study looks at physical realizations with an increasing number of degrees of freedom, starting with a camber-alone system. It is shown that single camber leads to flutter, which occurs at a constant reduced frequency and is due to the lock in between the shed wake and the camber motion. The different combinations of camber deformations with pitch and plunge motions are also studied, including parametric analyses of their aeroelastic stability characteristics. A number of situations are identified in which the flutter boundary of the compliant airfoil exhibits a significant dip with respect to the rigid airfoil models. These results can be used as a first estimation of the aeroelastic stability boundaries of membrane-wing micro air vehicles.     

Multiple bifurcations in wrinkling analysis of thin films on compliant substrates

Wrinkling phenomena of stiff thin films on compliant substrates are investigated based on a non-linear finite element model. The resulting non-linear equations are then solved by the Asymptotic Numerical Method (ANM) that gives interactive access to semi-analytical equilibrium branches, which offers considerable advantage of reliability compared with classical iterative algorithms. Bifurcation points are detected through computing bifurcation indicators well adapted to the ANM. The effect of boundary conditions and material properties of the substrate on the bifurcation portrait is carefully studied. The evolution of wrinkling patterns and post-bifurcation modes including period-doubling has been observed beyond the onset of the primary sinusoidal wrinkling mode in the post-buckling range.     

Modeling 3D revolute joint with clearance and contact stiffness

The clearances in the kinematic joints are due to deformations, wear, and manufacturing errors; the accurate modeling of these effects in multibody analysis is a complex issue but in many practical applications, it is mandatory to take into them into account in order to understand the actual behavior of mechanical systems. In this paper, the authors present a general computer-aided model of a 3D revolute joint with clearance suitable for implementation in multibody dynamic solvers. While a perfect revolute joint imposes kinematic constraints, the proposed revolute joint with clearance leads to a force constraint. The revolute joint has been modeled by introducing a nonlinear equivalent force system, which takes into account the contact elastic deformations. The model depends on the structural and geometrical properties of materials in contact that have been investigated using finite element models. The purpose is to give a general approach to study the influence of actual joints on kinematic, dynamic, and structural behavior of mechanisms. The proposed model has been applied in dynamic simulations of a spatial slider-crank mechanism.     

Nonlinear analysis of the dynamics of articulated composite rotor blades

The general nonlinear intrinsic equations of motion of an elastic composite beam are solved in order to obtain the elasto-dynamic response of a rotating articulated blade. The solution utilizes the linear Variational-Asymptotic Method (VAM) cross-sectional analysis, together with an improved damped nonlinear model for the rigid-body motion analysis of helicopter blades in coupled flap and lead-lag motions. The explicit (direct) integration algorithm implements the perturbation method in order to solve the transient form of the nonlinear intrinsic differential equations of motion and obtain the elasto-dynamic behavior of an accelerating composite blade. The specific problem considered is an accelerating articulated helicopter blade of which its motion is analyzed since it starts rotating from rest until it reaches the steady-state condition. It is observed that the steady-state solution obtained by this method compares very well with other available solutions. The resulting simulation code is a powerful tool for analyzing the nonlinear response of composite rotor blades; and for serving the ultimate aim of efficient noise and vibration control in helicopters.     

A nonlinear contact pressure distribution model for wear calculation of planar revolute joint with clearance

As various errors result from manufacture and assembly processes or wear effect, clearance joint widely exists in mechanical system as a base component. The coupling analysis of tribology and dynamics of clearance joint is important to the reliability of mechanical system. A nonlinear contact pressure distribution mode (NLCP) is proposed to combine dynamics analysis with wear calculation together in this paper. The discrete thought of Winkler model is adopted to deal with contact problem with a high conformal rate. The contact relationship in a local microcontact area can be regarded as the contact between cylinder and plane. And the local contact pressure is acquired based on Hertz contact theory. The NLCP model has not only described the nonlinear relationship between contact pressure and penetration depth, but also avoided the complexity in contact pressure computation. The performance of NLCP model is demonstrated in comparison with asymmetric Winkler model, revealing that NLCP model has enhanced the calculation accuracy with a good efficiency. A comprehensive experimental study on the wear calculation of a slider–crank mechanism with clearance joint is presented and discussed to provide an experimental verification for NLCP model. The paper’s work has solved the contact problem with a high conformal rate and has described the nonlinear relationship between contact pressure and penetration depth. It has great value to the wear analysis of clearance joint.     

Nonlinear analysis of photo-induced wrinkling of glassy twist nematic films on compliant substrates

A kinetics approach is developed for the geometrically nonlinear analysis of photo-induced wrinkling of glassy twist nematic films on soft elastic substrates.In this way,the problem is reduced to finding the steady state of an overdamped evolution system according to a kinetic law,rather than directly solving the coupled nonlinear equations.This enables one to account for the complicated director distribution and obtain the precise wrinkling morphology of the film.Though the approach proposed here is for a twist nematic film,it can be extended to study glassy nematic films with other director distributions.     

A comparative study of joint formulations: application to multibody system tracked vehicles

This paper is focused on the dynamic formulation of mechanical joints using different approaches that lead to different models with different numbers of degrees of freedom. Some of these formulations allow for capturing the joint deformations using a discrete elastic model while the others are continuum-based and capture joint deformation modes that cannot be captured using the discrete elastic joint models. Specifically, three types of joint formulations are considered in this investigation; the ideal, compliant discrete element, and compliant continuum-based joint models. The ideal joint formulation, which does not allow for deformation degrees of freedom in the case of rigid body or small deformation analysis, requires introducing a set of algebraic constraint equations that can be handled in computational multibody system (MBS) algorithms using two fundamentally different approaches: constrained dynamics approach and penalty method. When the constrained dynamics approach is used, the constraint equations must be satisfied at the position, velocity, and acceleration levels. The penalty method, on the other hand, ensures that the algebraic equations are satisfied at the position level only. In the compliant discrete element joint formulation, no constraint conditions are used; instead the connectivity conditions between bodies are enforced using forces that can be defined in their most general form in MBS algorithms using bushing elements that allow for the definition of general nonlinear forces and moments. The new compliant continuum-based joint formulation, which is based on the finite element (FE) absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF), has several advantages: (1) It captures modes of joint deformations that cannot be captured using the compliant discrete joint models; (2) It leads to linear connectivity conditions, thereby allowing for the elimination of the dependent variables at a preprocessing stage; (3) It leads to a constant inertia matrix in the case of chain like structure; and (4) It automatically captures the deformation of the bodies using distributed inertia and elasticity. The formulations of these three different joint models are compared in order to shed light on the fundamental differences between them. Numerical results of a detailed tracked vehicle model are presented in order to demonstrate the implementation of some of the formulations discussed in this investigation.