Finite Element Incremental Approach and Exact Rigid Body Inertia

1996 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Shabana
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Rigid Body ◽  
Rigid Bodies ◽  
Simple Expression ◽  
Shape Functions ◽  
Large Rotation ◽  
Nodal Coordinates ◽  
Inertia Properties ◽  
Element Shape ◽  
Body Inertia

In the dynamics of multibody systems that consist of interconnected rigid and deformable bodies, it is desirable to have a formulation that preserves the exactness of the rigid body inertia. As demonstrated in this paper, the incremental finite element approach, which is often used to solve large rotation problems, does not lead to the exact inertia of simple structures when they rotate as rigid bodies. Nonetheless, the exact inertia properties, such as the mass moments of inertia and the moments of mass, of the rigid bodies can be obtained using the finite element shape functions that describe large rigid body translations by introducing an intermediate element coordinate system. The results of application of the parallel axis theorem can be obtained using the finite element shape functions by simply changing the element nodal coordinates. As demonstrated in this investigation, the exact rigid body inertia properties in case of rigid body rotations can be obtained using the shape function if the nodal coordinates are defined using trigonometric functions. The analysis presented in this paper also demonstrates that a simple expression for the kinetic energy can be obtained for flexible bodies that undergo large displacements without the need for interpolation of large rotation coordinates.

Finite Element Incremental Approach and Exact Rigid Body Inertia

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Shabana
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Rigid Body ◽  
Shape Function ◽  
Rigid Bodies ◽  
Shape Functions ◽  
Mass Moment ◽  
Nodal Coordinates ◽  
Inertia Properties ◽  
Element Shape ◽  
Body Inertia

Abstract In the dynamics of multibody systems that consist of interconnected rigid and deformable bodies, it is desirable to have a formulation that preserves the exactness of the rigid body inertia. As demonstrated in this paper, the incremental finite element approach, which is often used to solve large rotation problems, does not lead to the exact inertia of simple structures when they rotate as rigid bodies because the physical nodal coordinates can not be used to describe large rotations in the case of beams and plates. Nonetheless, the exact inertia properties, such as the mass moments of inertia and the moments of mass, of the rigid bodies can be obtained using the finite element shape functions that describe large rigid body translations by introducing an intermediate element coordinate system. The results of application of the parallel axis theorem can be obtained using the finite element shape functions by simply changing the element nodal coordinates. A simple rigid body rotation, however, can cause a significant error if the element shape function and the nodal coordinates are used to evaluate the inertia properties of bodies that undergo large rigid body rotations. As demonstrated in this investigation, the exact rigid body inertia properties in case of rigid body rotations can be obtained using the shape function if the nodal coordinates are defined using trigonometric functions that lack a physical meaning. Linearization of the nodal coordinate vector can lead to different results when different methods are used to define the rigid body inertia. For example, the calculation of the mass moment of inertia using position coordinates only leads to results which are different from those obtained using energy expressions or the laws of motion.

Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation

1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed A. Shabana ◽  
Hussien A. Hussien ◽  
José L. Escalona
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Rigid Body ◽  
Rigid Bodies ◽  
Rotation Vector ◽  
Finite Rotations ◽  
Large Rotation ◽  
Finite Element Procedure ◽  
Floating Frame ◽  
Inertia Forces ◽  
Body Inertia

Abstract There are three basic finite element formulations, which are used in multibody dynamics. These are the floating frame reference approach, the incremental method and the large rotation vector approach. In the floating frame of reference and incremental formulations, the slopes are assumed small in order to define infinitesimal rotations that can be treated and transformed as vectors. This description, however, limits the use of some important elements such as beams and plates in a wide range of large displacement applications. As demonstrated in some recent publications, if infinitesimal rotations are used as nodal coordinates, the use of the finite element incremental formulation in the large reference displacement analysis does not lead to exact modeling of the rigid body inertia when the structures rotate as rigid bodies. In this paper, a new and simple finite element procedure that employs the mathematical definition of the slope and uses it to define the element coordinates instead of the infinitesimal and finite rotations is developed for large rotation and deformation problems. By using this description and by defining the element coordinates in the global system, not only the need for performing coordinate transformation is avoided, but also a simple expression for the inertia forces is obtained. Furthermore, the resulting mass matrix is constant and it is the same matrix that appears in linear structural dynamics. It is demonstrated in this paper, that this coordinate description leads to exact modeling of the rigid body inertia when the structure rotate as rigid bodies. Nonetheless, the stiffness matrix becomes nonlinear function of time even in the case of small displacements. The method presented in this paper differs from previous large rotation vector formulations in the sense that the inertia forces, the kinetic energy, and the strain energy are not expressed in terms of any orientation coordinates, and therefore, the method does not require interpolation of finite rotations. While the use of the formulation is demonstrated using a simple planar beam element, the generalization of the method to other element types and to the three dimensional case is straightforward. Using the finite element procedure presented in this paper, beams and plates can be treated as isoparametric elements.

Application of the Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation to Large Rotation and Large Deformation Problems

1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Shabana ◽  
H. A. Hussien ◽  
J. L. Escalona
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Rigid Body ◽  
Rigid Bodies ◽  
Frame Of Reference ◽  
Finite Rotations ◽  
Large Rotation ◽  
Finite Element Procedure ◽  
Floating Frame ◽  
Inertia Forces ◽  
Body Inertia

There are three basic finite element formulations which are used in multibody dynamics. These are the floating frame of reference approach, the incremental method and the large rotation vector approach. In the floating frame of reference and incremental formulations, the slopes are assumed small in order to define infinitesimal rotations that can be treated and transformed as vectors. This description, however, limits the use of some important elements such as beams and plates in a wide range of large displacement applications. As demonstrated in some recent publications, if infinitesimal rotations are used as nodal coordinates, the use of the finite element incremental formulation in the large reference displacement analysis does not lead to exact modeling of the rigid body inertia when the structures rotate as rigid bodies. In this paper, a simple non-incremental finite element procedure that employs the mathematical definition of the slope and uses it to define the element coordinates instead of the infinitesimal and finite rotations is developed for large rotation and deformation problems. By using this description and by defining the element coordinates in the global system, not only the need for performing coordinate transformation is avoided, but also a simple expression for the inertia forces is obtained. The resulting mass matrix is constant and it is the same matrix that appears in linear structural dynamics. It is demonstrated in this paper that this coordinate description leads to exact modeling of the rigid body inertia when the structures rotate as rigid bodies. Nonetheless, the stiffness matrix becomes nonlinear function even in the case of small displacements. The method presented in this paper differs from previous large rotation vector formulations in the sense that the inertia forces, the kinetic energy, and the strain energy are not expressed in terms of any orientation coordinates, and therefore, the method does not require interpolation of finite rotations. While the use of the formulation is demonstrated using a simple planar beam element, the generalization of the method to other element types and to the three dimensional case is straightforward. Using the finite element procedure presented in this paper, beams and plates can be treated as isoparametric elements.

Exact Modeling of the Spatial Rigid Body Inertia Using the Finite Element Method

1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (3) ◽  
pp. 650-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. Christensen ◽  
A. A. Shabana
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Rigid Body ◽  
Coordinate System ◽  
Deformable Body ◽  
Equations Of Motion ◽  
Body Motion ◽  
Intermediate Element ◽  
Nodal Coordinates ◽  
Body Inertia ◽  
Isoparametric Elements

In the classical finite element literature beams and plates are not considered as isoparametric elements since infinitesimal rotations are used as nodal coordinates. As a consequence, exact modeling of an arbitrary rigid body displacement cannot be obtained, and rigid body motion does not lead to zero strain. In order to circumvent this problem in flexible multibody simulations, an intermediate element coordinate system, which has an origin rigidly attached to the origin of the deformable body coordinate system and has axes which are parallel to the axes of the element coordinate system in the undeformed configuration was introduced. Using this intermediate element coordinate system and the fact that conventional beam and plate shape functions can describe an arbitrary rigid body translation, an exact modeling of the rigid body inertia can be obtained. The large rigid body translation and rotational displacements can be described using a set of reference coordinates that define the location of the origin and the orientation of the deformable body coordinate system. On the other hand, as demonstrated in this investigation, the incremental finite element formulations do not lead to exact modeling of the spatial rigid body mass moments and products of inertia when the structures move as rigid bodies, and such formulations do not lead to the correct rigid body equations of motion. The correct equations of motion, however, can be obtained if the coordinates are defined in terms of global slopes. Using this new definition of the element coordinates, an absolute nodal coordinate formulation that leads to a constant mass matrix for the element can be developed. Using this formulation, in which no infinitesimal or finite rotations are used as nodal coordinates, beam and plate elements can be treated as isoparametric elements.

Rigid Body Inertia Properties

2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (9) ◽  
pp. 1483-1489
Author(s):  
T. B. Goldvarg ◽  
V. N. Shapovalov
Keyword(s):  
Rigid Body ◽  
Inertia Properties ◽  
Body Inertia

Computer-Aided Modelling of Cloth Deformation

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. F. Zhao ◽  
S. T. Tan ◽  
T. N. Wong ◽  
W. J. Chen
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element Method ◽  
Exact Solution ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Rigid Body ◽  
Present Method ◽  
Geometric Constraint ◽  
Computationally Efficient ◽  
Large Rotation ◽  
Developable Surfaces ◽  
Computer Aided

Abstract A constrained finite element method for modelling cloth deformation is developed. The bending deformation and the geometric constraint of developable surfaces of the cloth objects are considered. The representation of large rotation and the motion of rigid body are described using the current coordinates with the geometric constraint. The effectiveness of the present method is verified by comparing the thread deformation with the exact solution of catenary. Several examples are given to show that the proposed method converges quickly and is thus computationally efficient.

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