Flexible Multibody Dynamics Based on a Fully Cartesian System of Support Coordinates

In this paper we present an extension to flexible multibody systems of a system of fully cartesian coordinates previously used in rigid multibody dynamics. This method is fully compatible with the previous one, keeping most of its advantages in kinematics and dynamics. The deformation in each deformable body is expressed as a linear combination of Ritz vectors with respect to a local frame whose motion is defined by a series of points and vectors that move according to the rigid body motion. Joint constraint equations are formulated through the points and vectors that define each link. These are chosen so that a minimum use of local reference frames is done. The resulting equations of motion are integrated using the trapezoidal rule combined with fixed point iteration. An illustrative example that corresponds to a satellite deployment is presented.