Computer Calculation of Mechanisms Involving Intermittent Motions.

Abstract

This paper deals with a simple computational approach to the analysis of dynamical systems involving intermittent motion in which the velocities involved can be discontinuous due to impulsive forces, impact, mass capture, and mass release. The sequence of these events may not be known ahead of time, and may in fact be one of the thins we wish the computer to determine. The dynamical equations are formulated using a logical function method due to P. Ehle. The resulting system of ordinary differential equations with discontinuous coefficients is integrated using a standard computer code in regions where the coefficients are continuous. When discontinuities occur, jump conditions across the discontinuity are used to express the new velocities in terms of the old, and the ordinary differential equation solver is simply restarted with new initial conditions. To illustrate the simplicity of the approach, the method is applied to a dynamical system of ten masses considered by Ehle. The computer code and numerical results are included. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1979
Accession Number
ADA083809

Entities

People

  • B. Noble
  • H. S. Hung

Organizations

  • University of Wisconsin–Madison

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Coefficients
  • Computational Science
  • Computer Programs
  • Computer Simulations
  • Computers
  • Differential Equations
  • Discontinuities
  • Equations
  • Equations Of Motion
  • Mathematics
  • Numerical Integration
  • Sequences
  • Standards
  • Step Functions
  • Transitions
  • United States
  • Universities

Fields of Study

  • Mathematics

Readers

  • Control Systems Engineering.
  • Finite Element Method (FEM) for solving Partial Differential Equations (PDEs)