Static Balancing of Spatial Six-Degree-of-Freedom Parallel Mechanisms With Revolute Actuators

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiegao Wang ◽  
Clément M. Gosselin
Keyword(s):  
Potential Energy ◽  
Center Of Mass ◽  
Total Potential Energy ◽  
Degree Of Freedom ◽  
Gravitational Potential Energy ◽  
Parallel Mechanisms ◽  
Static Balancing ◽  
Total Potential ◽  
Global Center ◽  
Six Degree Of Freedom

Abstract The static balancing of spatial six-degree-of-freedom parallel mechanisms or manipulators with revolute actuators is studied in this paper. Two static balancing methods, namely, using counterweights and using springs, are used. The first method leads to mechanisms with a stationary global center of mass while the second approach leads to mechanisms whose total potential energy (including the elastic potential energy stored in the springs as well as the gravitational potential energy) is constant. The position vector of the global center of mass and the total potential energy of the manipulator are first expressed as functions of the position and orientation of the platform. Then, conditions for static balancing are derived from the resulting expressions. Finally, examples are given in order to illustrate the design methodologies.

An Optimization Method for the Static Balancing of Manipulators Using Springs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jieyu Wang ◽  
Xianwen Kong
Keyword(s):  
Potential Energy ◽  
Objective Function ◽  
Multiple Solutions ◽  
Optimization Method ◽  
Total Potential Energy ◽  
Static Balancing ◽  
Attachment Point ◽  
Total Potential

Abstract This paper discusses a novel optimization method to design statically balanced manipulators. Only springs are used to balance the manipulators composed of revolute (R) joints. Since the total potential energy of the system is constant when statically balanced, the sum of squared differences between the two potential energy when giving different random values of joint variables is set as the objective function. Then the optimization tool of MATLAB is used to obtain the spring attachment points. The results show that for a 1-link manipulator mounted on an R joint, in addition to attaching the spring right above the R joint, the attachment point can have offset. It also indicates that an arbitrary spatial manipulator with n link, whose weight cannot be neglected, can be balanced using n springs. Using this method, the static balancing can be readily achieved, with multiple solutions.

Energy-free adjustment of gravity equilibrators by adjusting the spring stiffness

2008 ◽  
Vol 222 (9) ◽  
pp. 1839-1846 ◽  
Author(s):  
W D van Dorsser ◽  
R Barents ◽  
B M Wisse ◽  
M Schenk ◽  
J L Herder
Keyword(s):  
Potential Energy ◽  
Total Potential Energy ◽  
Spring Stiffness ◽  
External Energy ◽  
Static Balancing ◽  
Concept Model ◽  
Total Potential ◽  
Novel Variant ◽  
Energy Conserving

Static balancing is a useful concept to reduce the operating effort of mechanisms. Spring mechanisms are used to achieve a constant total potential energy, thus eliminating any preferred position. Quasi-statically, the mechanism, once statically balanced, can be moved virtually without the operating energy. In some cases, it is desirable to adjust the characteristic of the balancer, for instance, due to a change in the payload in a gravity balanced mechanism. The adjustment of current static balancers requires significant operating energy. This paper will present a novel variant to adjust the spring- and linkage-based static balancers without the need for external energy. The variant makes use of the possibility to adjust the spring stiffness in an energy-conserving way by adjusting the number of active coils. The conditions under which it functions properly will be given, and a proof of the concept model will be shown.

Energy-Free Adjustment of Gravity Equilibrators With Application in a Mobile Arm Support

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wouter D. van Dorsser ◽  
Rogier Barents ◽  
Boudewijn M. Wisse ◽  
Just L. Herder
Keyword(s):  
Potential Energy ◽  
Muscle Force ◽  
Neuromuscular Diseases ◽  
Total Potential Energy ◽  
External Energy ◽  
Static Balancing ◽  
Support Mechanism ◽  
Total Potential ◽  
Arm Support

Static balancing is a useful concept to reduce operating effort of mechanisms. Very often, spring mechanisms are used to achieve a constant total potential energy, thus eliminating any preferred position. The springs and the mechanism dimensions are designed to exactly or approximately balance other forces present in the mechanism, such as gravity. Quasistatically, the mechanism, once statically balanced, can be moved virtually without operating energy. In some cases it is desirable to adjust the balancer characteristic, for instance due to a change of payload in a gravity balanced mechanism. The adjustment of present static balancers requires significant operating energy. This paper will present a novel principle to adjust spring and linkage-based static balancers with no need for external energy. This principle will be explained and several variants will be shown. A mobile arm support for people with neuromuscular diseases is used as a design example. These people have very limited force and rely on their arm support to move their arms. When picking up objects their support mechanism should ideally be adjusted. Due to the limited available muscle force, this application greatly benefits from an energy-free adjustment.

A simplified formulation of adhesion problems with elastic plates

2009 ◽  
Vol 465 (2107) ◽  
pp. 2217-2230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmel Majidi ◽  
George G. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Potential Energy ◽  
Contact Area ◽  
Contact Region ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Total Potential Energy ◽  
Work Of Adhesion ◽  
Contact Radius ◽  
Algebraic Complexity ◽  
Elastic Plates ◽  
Total Potential

The solution of adhesion problems with elastic plates generally involves solving a boundary-value problem with an assumed contact area. The contact region is then found by minimizing the total potential energy with respect to the contact area (i.e. the contact radius for the axisymmetric case). Such a procedure can be extremely long and tedious. Here, we show that the inclusion of adhesion is equivalent to specifying a discontinuous internal bending moment at the contact region boundary. The magnitude of this moment discontinuity is related to the work of adhesion and flexural rigidity of the plate. Such a formulation can greatly reduce the algebraic complexity of solving these problems. It is noted that the related plate contact problems without adhesion can also be solved by minimizing the total potential energy. However, it has long been recognized that it is mathematically more efficient to find the contact area by specifying a continuous internal bending moment at the boundary of the contact region. Thus, our moment discontinuity method can be considered to be a generalization of that procedure which is applicable for problems with adhesion.

scholarly journals Walking in simulated reduced gravity: mechanical energy fluctuations and exchange

1999 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 383-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy M. Griffin ◽  
Neil A. Tolani ◽  
Rodger Kram
Keyword(s):  
Kinetic Energy ◽  
Potential Energy ◽  
Gravitational Potential ◽  
Inverted Pendulum ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Center Of Mass ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
Metabolic Energy ◽  
Gravitational Potential Energy ◽  
Reduced Gravity

Walking humans conserve mechanical and, presumably, metabolic energy with an inverted pendulum-like exchange of gravitational potential energy and horizontal kinetic energy. Walking in simulated reduced gravity involves a relatively high metabolic cost, suggesting that the inverted-pendulum mechanism is disrupted because of a mismatch of potential and kinetic energy. We tested this hypothesis by measuring the fluctuations and exchange of mechanical energy of the center of mass at different combinations of velocity and simulated reduced gravity. Subjects walked with smaller fluctuations in horizontal velocity in lower gravity, such that the ratio of horizontal kinetic to gravitational potential energy fluctuations remained constant over a fourfold change in gravity. The amount of exchange, or percent recovery, at 1.00 m/s was not significantly different at 1.00, 0.75, and 0.50 G (average 64.4%), although it decreased to 48% at 0.25 G. As a result, the amount of work performed on the center of mass does not explain the relatively high metabolic cost of walking in simulated reduced gravity.

WRENCH-CLOSURE WORKSPACE OF SIX-DOF PARALLEL MECHANISMS DRIVEN BY 7 CABLES

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 541-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Gouttefarde ◽  
Clément M. Gosselin
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Degree Of Freedom ◽  
Parallel Mechanisms ◽  
Six Dof ◽  
Moving Platform ◽  
Six Degree Of Freedom

The wrench-closure workspace (WCW) of six-degree-of-freedom (DOF) parallel cable-driven mechanisms is defined as the set of poses of the moving platform of the mechanism for which any external wrench can be balanced by tension forces in the cables. This workspace is fundamental in order to analyze and design parallel cable-driven mechanisms. This paper deals with the class of six-DOF mechanisms driven by seven cables. Two theorems, which provide efficient means to test whether a given pose of the moving platform belongs to the WCW, are proposed. One of these two theorems reveals the nature of the boundary of the constant-orientation cross sections of the WCW. Moreover, some of the possible applications of these theorems are discussed and illustrated.

Automatic Refinement of FE Shell Models Based on a Local Energy Function

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Carminelli ◽  
Giuseppe Catania
Keyword(s):  
Potential Energy ◽  
Local Density ◽  
Free Vibration Analysis ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
Total Potential Energy ◽  
Shape Functions ◽  
Total Potential ◽  
Error Functional ◽  
Local Patch

This paper deals with an adaptive refinement technique of a B-spline degenerate shell finite element model, for the free vibration analysis of curved thin and moderately thick-walled structures. The automatic refinement of the solution is based on an error functional related to the density of the total potential energy. The model refinement is generated by locally increasing, in a sub-domain R of a local patch domain, the number of shape functions while maintaining constant the functions polynomial order. The local refinement strategy is described in a companion paper, written by the same authors of this paper and presented in this Conference. A two-step iterative procedure is proposed. In the first step, one or more sub domains to be refined are identified by means of a point-wise error functional based on the system total potential energy local density. In the second step, the number of shape functions to be added is iteratively increased until the difference of the total potential energy, calculated on the sub domain between two iteration, is below a user defined tolerance. A numerical example is presented in order to test the proposed approach. Strengths and limits of the approach are critically discussed.

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