| This thesis is concerned with the computational aspects of multibody elastic systems, including modeling, analysis, and digital simulation. The thesis consists of four chapters. Chapter 1 is an introduction. The second chapter is concerned with modeling and efficient methods for the generation of equations of motion. Some of the material presented in chapter 2 is classical; however, the presentation is more systematic. The concentration is on the illumination of the basic aspects of the theory, the linearization, and the development of systematic procedures for the generation and linearization of equations of motion, including constrained motion and contact and friction problems.; The third chapter is concerned with the development and analysis of numerical procedures for the solution of problems arising in multibody dynamics. The numerical procedures involve numerical integration of continuous and discontinuous phenomena arising in contact; constrained motion, including inequalities; and Coulomb (dry) friction. The methods presented here are new and to our knowledge have never been used on this class of nonlinear initial value problems.; The fourth chapter includes applications of the theory and approximations introduced in chapters 2 and 3 to concrete test problems, as well as comparative studies of the various methods. |
