A geometrically exact active beam theory for multibody dynamics simulation

摘要

A geometrically exact beam theory suitable for the dynamic simulation of multibody systems involving active components is developed and implemented into a general-purpose multibody dynamics code. Taking advantage of the smallness of the aspect ratio, we model the active beam as a generalized one-dimensional continuum with constitutive models obtained from cross-sectional analysis. Various examples for both static and dynamic behavior of composite beams with embedded or attached piezoelectric layers or multibody systems with such components have been used to validate the theory and code. Good agreement is found with available results in the literature and a commercial multiphysics simulation package. This work enables comprehensive analyses of multibody systems involving active beam components made of smart materials.