Introduction and Motivation

Nowadays simulation models are commonly used for the computer-aided analysis and optimization in many technical development processes. For the analysis of dynamic systems, in which the components undergo large rigid body motions, the method of multibody systems is an efficient and widely used modeling approach. The areas of application are very diverse and range from vehicle dynamics to robotics and biomechanics.

With the increasing demands on the real systems, the demands on the simulation models increase too. For instance, in the past the deformations of the bodies were often neglected. However, undesired vibrations or deformations might have an undesired influence on the machine precision. Thus, efficient methods have been developed, which considers the deformation of the bodies, in order to increase the model quality. These flexible multibody systems do not only provide to a more precise description of the kinematics, but allow also an improved contact simulation between bodies or the direct application of computer-aided structural optimizations. They are also applied in model-based control, which is not an easy task, because flexible multibody systems are typical examples of under-actuated systems. In summary flexible multibody systems are the basis for numerous research projects at the Institute of Mechanics and Ocean Engineering and, thus, their efficient modeling and analysis is of great importance.

Contact

• Dr.-Ing. Alexander Held
• Tobias Rückwald, M.Sc.
• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Robert Seifried