Modelling of multibody systems containing flexible beams: Implementation and comparison of various approaches

Details

Supervisors

Fisette, Paul

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur civil mécanicien, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enThis thesis present a comparative work between several methods used to model multibody systems containing flexible beams, with a particular sight to the case of a cantilever beam subjected to large rotation. The aim is to analyse, implement, and compare some methods to assess their accuracy and performances over 2-D and 3-D benchmarks. A review of the literature is first provided, presenting the main, currently existing, methods and formulations used around the world to treat this subject. Three models are then analysed and implemented. A first one, based on the finite segments method (FS method), then two models based on floating reference frame formulation (FRFF) topological description, one using assumed modes method and the second, based on component mode synthesis (CMS). Then results and performances of the two functional models (FS method and FRFFCMS) are compared for several situations, and a discussion about the three models and their underlying methods is proposed. Finally, the results point the way forward for a future implementation of such methods in the UCLouvain-IMMC multibody systems analysis software ®ROBOTRAN.