Analysis of Nonlinear Multibody Systems with Elastic Couplings

This paper is concerned with the dynamic analysis of nonlinear multibody systems involving elastic members made of laminated, anisotropic composite materials. The analysis methodology can be viewed as a three-step procedure. First, the sectional properties of beams made of composite materials are determined based on an asymptotic procedure that involves a two-dimensional finite element analysis of the cross-section. Second, the dynamic response of nonlinear, flexible multibody systems is simulated within the framework of energy-preserving and energy-decaying time-integration schemes that provide unconditional stability for nonlinear systems. Finally, local three-dimensional stresses in the beams are recovered, based on the stress resultants predicted in the previous step. Numerical examples are presented and focus on the behavior of multibody systems involving members with elastic couplings.