CONTINUATION METHODS FOR TRACING THE EQUILIBRIUM PATH IN FLEXIBLE MECHANISM ANALYSIS

Presents an implementation of continuation methods in the context of a code for flexible multibody systems analysis. These systems are chara cterized by the simultaneous presence of elastic deformation terms and rigid constraints. In our formulation, the latter terms are introduce d by an augmented Lagrangian technique, resulting in the presence of L agrange multipliers in the set oi unknowns, together with displacement and rotation associated terms. Essential aspects for a successful imp lementation are discussed: e.g. the selection of an appropriate metric for computing the path following constraint, a flexible description o f control parameters which accounts for conservative and nonconservati ve loads, imposed displacements and imposed temperatures (dilatation e ffects), and the inclusion of second order derivatives of rigid constr aints in the Jacobian. A large set of examples is presented, with the objective of evaluating the numerical effectiveness of the implemented schemes.