Date of Award
4-2008
Degree Name
Master of Science in Engineering
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
First Advisor
Dr. James Kamman
Second Advisor
Dr. Koorosh Naghshineh
Third Advisor
Dr. Dennis VanderBrink
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Multibody dynamic systems designers utilize computer software extensively to simulate the motion of mechanical systems. The governing differential equations of motion are formulated and solved numerically. The accuracy of the numerical solutions is always a concern to the analyst. There have been many investigations done around the world to check the accuracy of these simulations, and based on these investigations, many methods have been developed. These methods are usually based on energy balance equations and can be used to test the validity or the correctness of the numerical solutions. This thesis analyzes and compares these methods based on their formulation and their applicability to test the accuracy of the simulations. A MATLAB/Simulink model of a triple pendulum example system is used to demonstrate the utility of each method. The methods are used to identify numerical inaccuracies associated with the differential equation solver, the integration step size, and errors in the equations of motion.
Recommended Citation
Gugaratshan, Kulasegaram, "Investigative Study on an Energy Theorem for Developing Testing Functions for Numerical Simulations of Multibody Dynamic Systems" (2008). Masters Theses. 4234.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/4234