Abstract
In the dynamic analysis of a mechanism, if one or more of the components are flexible, then the simulation will not be accurate because of the violation of the rigid body assumption. Mode shapes are used to represent the dynamic behavior of an elastic structure. A modal synthesis method which uses a combination of normal modes, constraint modes, and attachment modes, was used to represent effectively the elastic deformation of a flexible multibody. Since the combination of these modes should be different for each type of connecting part, the modal synthesis method was studied for the various types of interconnecting joints. In addition, the analysis procedure for the flexible body was explained. A satellite system with flexible solar panels was chosen as an example to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.