Sensitivity Analysis of Multibody Systems

Author(s):  
F. Pfister ◽  
M. Fayet ◽  
A. Jutard
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adwait Verulkar ◽  
Corina Sandu ◽  
Daniel Dopico ◽  
Adrian Sandu

Abstract Sensitivity analysis is one of the most prominent gradient based optimization techniques for mechanical systems. Model sensitivities are the derivatives of the generalized coordinates defining the motion of the system in time with respect to the system design parameters. These sensitivities can be calculated using finite differences, but the accuracy and computational inefficiency of this method limits its use. Hence, the methodologies of direct and adjoint sensitivity analysis have gained prominence. Recent research has presented computationally efficient methodologies for both direct and adjoint sensitivity analysis of complex multibody dynamic systems. The contribution of this article is in the development of the mathematical framework for conducting the direct sensitivity analysis of multibody dynamic systems with joint friction using the index-1 formulation. For modeling friction in multibody systems, the Brown and McPhee friction model has been used. This model incorporates the effects of both static and dynamic friction on the model dynamics. A case study has been conducted on a spatial slider-crank mechanism to illustrate the application of this methodology to real-world systems. Using computer models, with and without joint friction, effect of friction on the dynamics and model sensitivities has been demonstrated. The sensitivities of slider velocity have been computed with respect to the design parameters of crank length, rod length, and the parameters defining the friction model. Due to the highly non-linear nature of friction, the model dynamics are more sensitive during the transition phases, where the friction coefficient changes from static to dynamic and vice versa.


Author(s):  
Alfonso Callejo ◽  
Daniel Dopico

Algorithms for the sensitivity analysis of multibody systems are quickly maturing as computational and software resources grow. Indeed, the area has made substantial progress since the first academic methods and examples were developed. Today, sensitivity analysis tools aimed at gradient-based design optimization are required to be as computationally efficient and scalable as possible. This paper presents extensive verification of one of the most popular sensitivity analysis techniques, namely the direct differentiation method (DDM). Usage of such method is recommended when the number of design parameters relative to the number of outputs is small and when the time integration algorithm is sensitive to accumulation errors. Verification is hereby accomplished through two radically different computational techniques, namely manual differentiation and automatic differentiation, which are used to compute the necessary partial derivatives. Experiments are conducted on an 18-degree-of-freedom, 366-dependent-coordinate bus model with realistic geometry and tire contact forces, which constitutes an unusually large system within general-purpose sensitivity analysis of multibody systems. The results are in good agreement; the manual technique provides shorter runtimes, whereas the automatic differentiation technique is easier to implement. The presented results highlight the potential of manual and automatic differentiation approaches within general-purpose simulation packages, and the importance of formulation benchmarking.


Author(s):  
Shilpa A. Vaze ◽  
Prakash Krishnaswami ◽  
James DeVault

Most state-of-the-art multibody systems are multidisciplinary and encompass a wide range of components from various domains such as electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, etc. The design considerations and design parameters of the system can come from any of these domains or from a combination of these domains. In order to perform analytical design sensitivity analysis on a multidisciplinary system (MDS), we first need a uniform modeling approach for this class of systems to obtain a unified mathematical model of the system. Based on this model, we can derive a unified formulation for design sensitivity analysis. In this paper, we present a modeling and design sensitivity formulation for MDS that has been successfully implemented in the MIXEDMODELS (Multidisciplinary Integrated eXtensible Engine for Driving Metamodeling, Optimization and DEsign of Large-scale Systems) platform. MIXEDMODELS is a unified analysis and design tool for MDS that is based on a procedural, symbolic-numeric architecture. This architecture allows any engineer to add components in his/her domain of expertise to the platform in a modular fashion. The symbolic engine in the MIXEDMODELS platform synthesizes the system governing equations as a unified set of non-linear differential-algebraic equations (DAE’s). These equations can then be differentiated with respect to design to obtain an additional set of DAE’s in the sensitivity coefficients of the system state variables with respect to the system’s design variables. This combined set of DAE’s can be solved numerically to obtain the solution for the state variables and state sensitivity coefficients of the system. Finally, knowing the system performance functions, we can calculate the design sensitivity coefficients of these performance functions by using the values of the state variables and state sensitivity coefficients obtained from the DAE’s. In this work we use the direct differentiation approach for sensitivity analysis, as opposed to the adjoint variable approach, for ease in error control and software implementation. The capabilities and performance of the proposed design sensitivity analysis formulation are demonstrated through a numerical example consisting of an AC rectified DC power supply driving a slider crank mechanism. In this case, the performance functions and design variables come from both electrical and mechanical domains. The results obtained were verified by perturbation analysis, and the method was shown to be very accurate and computationally viable.


Author(s):  
Yitao Zhu ◽  
Daniel Dopico ◽  
Corina Sandu ◽  
Adrian Sandu

Multibody dynamics simulations are currently widely accepted as valuable means for dynamic performance analysis of mechanical systems. The evolution of theoretical and computational aspects of the multibody dynamics discipline makes it conducive these days for other types of applications, in addition to pure simulations. One very important such application is design optimization for multibody systems. In this paper, we focus on gradient-based optimization in order to find local minima. Gradients are calculated efficiently via adjoint sensitivity analysis techniques. Current approaches have limitations in terms of efficiently performing sensitivity analysis for complex systems with respect to multiple design parameters. To improve the state of the art, the adjoint sensitivity approach of multibody systems in the context of the penalty formulation is developed in this study. The new theory developed is then demonstrated on one academic case study, a five-bar mechanism, and on one real-life system, a 14 degree of freedom (DOF) vehicle model. The five-bar mechanism is used to validate the sensitivity approach derived in this paper. The full vehicle model is used to demonstrate the capability of the new approach developed to perform sensitivity analysis and optimization for large and complex multibody systems with respect to multiple design parameters with high efficiency.


Author(s):  
Wang Zhe ◽  
Qiang Tian ◽  
Hiayan Hu

The dynamics of flexible multibody systems with interval parameters is studied based on a non-intrusive computation methodology. The Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation (ANCF) is used to model the rigid-flexible multibody system, including the finite elements of the ANCF and the ANCF Reference Nodes (ANCF-RNs). The Chebyshev sampling methods including Chebyshev tensor product (CTP) sampling method and Chebyshev collocation method (CCM), are utilized to generate the Chebyshev surrogate model for Interval Differential Algebraic Equations (IDAEs). For purpose of preventing the interval explosion problem and maintaining computation efficiency, the interval bounds of the IDAEs are determined by scanning the deduced Chebyshev surrogate model. To further improve the computation efficiency, OpenMP directives are also used to parallelize the solving process of the Differential Algebraic Equations (DAEs) by fixing the uncertain interval parameter at the given sampling points. The sensitivity analysis of flexible multibody systems with interval parameters is initially performed by using the direct differentiation method. The direct differentiation method differentiates the dynamic equations with respect to the design variable, which yields the system sensitivity equations governed by DAEs. The generalized alpha method is introduced to integrate the sensitivity DAEs. The sensitivity equations of flexible multibody systems with interval parameters are also described by the IDAEs. Based on the continuum mechanics, the computational efficient analytical formulations for the derivative items of the system sensitivity equations are deduced. Three examples are studied to validate the proposed methodology, including the complicated spatial rigid-flexible multibody systems with a large number of uncertain interval parameters, the flexible system with uncertain interval clearance size joint, and the first order sensitivity analysis of flexible multibody systems with interval parameters. Firstly, the dynamics analysis of a six-arm space robot with six interval parameters is performed. For this case study, the interval dynamics cannot be obtained by directly scanning the IDAEs because extremely huge sets of DAEs with deterministic samples have to be solved. The estimated total computational time for solving the scanned IDAEs will be 1850 days! However, the computational time for solving the scanned Chebyshev surrogate model is 9796.97 seconds. It shows the effectiveness of the proposed computation methodology. Then, the nonlinear dynamics of a planar slider-crank mechanism with uncertain interval clearance size joint is studied in this work. The kinetics model of the revolute clearance joints is formulated under the ANCF-RN framework. Moreover, the influence of the LuGre and the modified Coulomb’s friction force models on the system’s dynamic response is investigated. By analyzing the bounds of dynamic response, the bifurcation diagrams are observed. It must be highlighted that with increasing the size of clearance, it does not automatically lead to unstable behaviors. Finally, the first order sensitivity analysis of flexible multibody systems with interval parameters is also studied in this work. The third one of a flexible mechanism with interval parameters is used to perform the sensitivity analysis.


Author(s):  
Alfonso Callejo ◽  
Valentin Sonneville ◽  
Olivier A. Bauchau

The gradient-based design optimization of mechanical systems requires robust and efficient sensitivity analysis tools. The adjoint method is regarded as the most efficient semi-analytical method to evaluate sensitivity derivatives for problems involving numerous design parameters and relatively few objective functions. This paper presents a discrete version of the adjoint method based on the generalized-alpha time integration scheme, which is applied to the dynamic simulation of flexible multibody systems. Rather than using an ad hoc backward integration solver, the proposed approach leads to a straightforward algebraic procedure that provides design sensitivities evaluated to machine accuracy. The approach is based on an intrinsic representation of motion that does not require a global parameterization of rotation. Design parameters associated with rigid bodies, kinematic joints, and beam sectional properties are considered. Rigid and flexible mechanical systems are investigated to validate the proposed approach and demonstrate its accuracy, efficiency, and robustness.


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