Calculation of mechanism motion using discrete time approach

1.1. Body movement

The position of each object in GCS can be defined using the two data structures, where the first is a vector specifying displacement of the body’s center of gravity to the GCS origin, and the second is the transformation matrix for transformation from the local body space to the global space. For description of the rotation (i.e. orientation) the transformation matrix $\mathbf{C}$ for rotation around the general axis Eq. (1) is used [1]:

where $e_x$, $e_y$ and $e_z$ are the unit direction vector components of the general axis of rotation and $\theta$ is the angle of rotation.

The movement of body is then in each iteration determined by the Newton-Euler equations of motion. In the environment of the multibody system, the entire solution could be as follows:

1) Determining of the force and torque results in the center of gravity.

2) Updating the kinematic state of the center of the gravity.

3) Updating the kinematic state of other common points of the body.

1.2. Force and torque results of body

Points of the body Fig. 2 are indexed from zero to $N-1$, where n is the number of points. The first point (i.e. point with zero index) is the body’s center of gravity.

Fig. 2A body in global and local coordinate system (highlighted)

Force and torque resultants in the body’s center of gravity Eqs. (2-3) are determined as a vector sum of the forces and moments in all of the points of the body. If gravitational acceleration is acting on the body, it can also be included in the resultant equations Eq. (2):

1.3. Kinematic state in the center of gravity

Body’s kinematic state, or its center of the gravity, is determined by the Newton-Euler motion equations. Translational component arises from classical Newtonian motion Eq. (4), the velocity and position is obtained by subsequent integration Eqs. (5-6):

Angular acceleration ${\mathbf{A}}_r$ is determined on the basis of Euler’s motion equation Eq. (7), where it is necessary to transform torque vector ${\mathbf{M}}_{cg}$ and angular velocity vector ${\mathbf{V}}_r$ using transformation matrix $\mathbf{C}$ to the local coordinate system of the body (determined by orientation of the center of the gravity), and then the result is transformed back to the global coordinate system [2]. It is because of the correct calculation of the inertia tensor which is, in contrast to the weight, directional. Angular velocity ${\mathbf{V}}_r$ is determined by simple integration of angular acceleration Eq. (8):

To obtain the orientation of the body, which is represented by the transformation matrix of rotation around the arbitrary axis Eq. (2), is not possible to use integration of the velocity vector in a three-dimensional space, as with the translational movement (this is possible only in a plane) However, it is necessary to utilize a matrix process to compose rotations. In the form working with the discretization step $\mathrm{\Delta }t$, the calculation then has following form: first, the angular velocity vector ${\mathbf{V}}_r$ Eq. (8) is determined after the normalization of the direction of rotation axis $\mathbf{e}$ Eq. (9) and by using the discretization step it is possible to compute the appropriate angle of rotation $\theta$ Eq. (10):

Subsequently, by using the transformation matrix Eq. (1) the incremental transformation matrix is calculated, and by multiplying it with matrix of rotational position from the previous discretization step $k-1$ the new rotational position for actual time is determined Eq. (11):

1.4. Kinematic state of common points

After the kinematic state of center of the gravity is calculated, all of other kinematic states in the remaining points of the body can be easily determined. The translational position of the point in GCS is determined by transformation and addition of relative displacement vector to the translational position of the center of gravity Eq. (12). Vectors of translational velocity and accelerations are calculated as the numerical derivation of positions, or acceleration Eqs. (14-16). Orientation (i.e. “rotational position”) is the product of a transformation matrix of the center of gravity and the transformation matrix in the relevant point Eq. (13). Angular acceleration and angular velocity of all points of the body are identical, so their values can be determined directly from point 0 Eqs. (15-17), which were determined when calculating the kinematic state of the body’s center of gravity of the body $\forall i\in ⟨1|n-1⟩$: