Structure-preserving Integrators in Nonlinear Structural Dynamics and Flexible Multibody Dynamics

This book focuses on structure-preserving numerical methodsfor flexible multibody dynamics, including nonlinear elastodynamics andgeometrically exact models for beams and shells. It also deals with the newlyemerging class of variational integrators as well as Lie-group integrators. Itdiscusses two alternative approaches to the discretization in space ofnonlinear beams and shells. Firstly, geometrically exact formulations, whichare typically used in the finite element community and, secondly, the absolutenodal coordinate formulation, which is popular in the multibody dynamicscommunity. Concerning the discretization in time, the energy-momentum methodand its energy-decaying variants are discussed. It also addresses a number ofissues that have arisen in the wake of the structure-preserving discretizationin space. Among them are the parameterization of finite rotations, theincorporation of algebraic constraints and the computer implementation of thevarious numerical methods. The practical application of structure-preservingmethods is illustrated by a number of examples dealing with, among others,nonlinear beams and shells, large deformation problems, long-term simulationsand coupled thermo-mechanical multibody systems. In addition it links novel timeintegration methods to frequently used methods in industrial multibody systemsimulation.