| This study consists of three parts. The first part covers the formulation of dynamic equations of vehicles and machinery to predict motion response and to optimize performance. This topic is receiving greater attention as articulated mechanical systems become larger and more complex. Five analytical methods were applied, namely the Momentum principle, d'Alembert's principle, Lagrange's equation, Hamilton's canonical equation, and Kane's equation. These methods were examined by formulating the equations of motion for a tractor-trailer system. A brief discussion of general-purpose computer simulation programs based on these methods was included.; The second part developed a computational methodology for dynamic analysis of geometrically-constrained, multi-link, rigid and/or flexible mechanical systems by using a unified 4 x 4 transformation matrix approach, in which translational and rotational mechanical joint variables were treated as a general set of kinematic constraint variables. Modal analysis technique was used to approximate the small linear elastic deflection so that the dimension of the dynamic problem was greatly reduced, and yet acceptable accuracy was preserved. The effects of flexible-link deflections on the loop closure equations were modelled by introducing the elastic deflection matrix into the otherwise rigid link shape matrix. The coupled dynamic equations of motion in terms of large-displacement joint constraint variables and flexible link modal variables were formulated by using Lagrange's equation approach. The system dynamic response was obtained numerically from the minimum set of differential equations.; In the third part of the study, a simulation methodology was developed based on the formulation of system equations of motion. Three examples (double-robot arm, mobile crane and front end loader) were used to demonstrate the modeling procedure for open and closed-loop mechanical systems. |
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