Multibody System Modeling, Simulation, and 3D Visualization

Abstract

With the increase of power and wide availability of the computers the modeling and simulations become very capable approaches in solving complex engineering problems. Using modern modeling and simulation tools the needs for expensive experimental investigations of the real systems are significantly reduced. In this chapter we consider 3D multibody systems (MBS).

The basic topic presented in this chapter is modeling and analysis of MBS systems from two different points of view—dynamic and geometric (visual). Bond graph approach for modeling of dynamics of MBS is presented first. It is based on acausal bond graphs leading to implicit differential-algebraic equations (DAEs) models. This approach enables developing of complex velocity based Euler–Lagrange models of MBS in BondSim© environment and simulating their motions.

The MBS can also be seen as the geometric objects of interconnected bodies in virtual 3D space. Using advanced techniques of Visualization Toolkit (VTK) it is shown how such models can be constructed using MS Visual C++ techniques. It is implemented in a specially designed application BondSimVisual© developed by the first author.

The geometrical objects representing complex 3D scene are basically static. However, they can be driven by the bond graph models. Because these are two different modeling worlds and two different applications, in order to enable interconnection of these two worlds an inter-process communication technique is developed. It is based on named pipe technology.

To illustrate developed methods a rather complex robotic example was analyzed.