ON DYNAMIC STIFFENING OF FLEXIBLE BODIES HAVING HIGH ANGULAR VELOCITY

This paper presents an analysis of the dynamics of flexible bodies und ergoing high angular velocity. It is shown that the high angular veloc ity produces a stiffening of the body, which can easily be neglected b y an untimely, or inconsistent, linearization of the dynamical equatio ns. The analysis presented is based on a linearization of second-order strain-displacement equations for elastic bodies. Kane's equations ar e then used to obtain the governing dynamical equations. It is asserte d that this procedure produces a consistent linearization of the gover ning equations and, in the process, captures so-called ''dynamic stiff ening'' terms that are sometimes lost with inconsistent linearizations . The analysis is illustrated by a series of examples of variously con figured rotating beams and plates. In addition to deformations, the an alysis is also used to compute restraint forces at the structural supp orts. It is seen that some of these forces can easily be missed with i nconsistent linearization of the governing equations.