A comprehensive survey of the analytical, numerical and experimental methodologies for dynamics of multibody mechanical systems with clearance or imperfect joints

"Available online 19 December 2017"A comprehensive survey of the literature of the most relevant analytical, numerical, and experimental approaches for the kinematic and dynamic analyses of multibody mechanical systems with clearance joints is presented in this review. Both dry and lubricated clearance joints are addressed here, and an effort is made to include a large number of research works in this particular field, which have been published since the 1960′s. First, the most frequently utilized methods for modeling planar and spatial multibody mechanical systems with clearance joints are analyzed, and compared. Other important phenomena commonly associated with clearance joint models, such as wear, non-smooth behavior, optimization and control, chaos, and uncertainty and links’ flexibility, are then discussed. The main assumptions procedures and conclusions for the different methodologies are also examined and compared. Finally, future developments and new applications of clearance joint modeling and analysis are highlighted.This research was supported in part by the China 111 Project (B16003) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grants 11290151, 11472042 and 11221202. The work was also supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology with the reference project UID/EEA/04436/2013, by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 – Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) with the reference project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006941.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Quasi optimal sagittal gait of a biped robot with a new structure of knee joint

The design of humanoid robots has been a tricky challenge for several years. Due to the kinematic complexity of human joints, their movements are notoriously difficult to be reproduced by a mechanism. The human knees allow movements including rolling and sliding, and therefore the design of new bioinspired knees is of utmost importance for the reproduction of anthropomorphic walking in the sagittal plane. In this article, the kinematic characteristics of knees were analyzed and a mechanical solution for reproducing them is proposed. The geometrical, kinematic and dynamic models are built together with an impact model for a biped robot with the new knee kinematic. The walking gait is studied as a problem of parametric optimization under constraints. The trajectories of walking are approximated by mathematical functions for a gait composed of single support phases with impacts. Energy criteria allow comparing the robot provided with the new rolling knee mechanism and a robot equipped with revolute knee joints. The results of the optimizations show that the rolling knee brings a decrease of the sthenic criterion. The comparisons of torques are also observed to show the difference of energy distribution between the actuators. For the same actuator selection, these results prove that the robot with rolling knees can walk longer than the robot with revolute joint knees.ANR R2A

Study of the effect of contact force model on the dynamic response of mechanical systems with dry clearance joints : computational and experimental approaches

The main objective of this work is to present a computational and experimental study on the contact forces developed in revolute clearance joints. For this purpose, a well-known slider-crank mechanism with a revolute clearance joint between the connecting rod and slider is utilized. The intra-joint contact forces that generated at this clearance joints are computed by considered several different elastic and dissipative approaches, namely those based on the Hertz contact theory and the ESDU tribology-based for cylindrical contacts, along with a hysteresis-type dissipative damping. The normal contact force is augmented with the dry Coulomb’s friction force. In addition, an experimental apparatus is use to obtained some experimental data in order to verify and validate the computational models. From the outcomes reported in this paper, it is concluded that the selection of the appropriate contact force model with proper dissipative damping plays a significant role in the dynamic response of mechanical systems involving contact events at low or moderate impact velocities.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Spatial revolute joints with clearance and friction for dynamic analysis of multibody mechanical systems

A study on the effects of dry spatial revolute joints with clearance and friction is delivered through this work. Both radial and axial clearances are taken into consideration which makes the model more realistic for three-dimensional motion. The kinematics of the contact between the journal and bearing are assessed, and used to evaluate the intra-joint normal and tangential contact forces. Moreover, a spatial slider-crank mechanism is used as an application example. The ideal case, the frictionless clearance joint and the joint with clearance and friction were compared, and the results show that clearance and friction have a significant impact in the dynamic response of the mechanical system

A parametric study on the dynamic response of planar multibody systems with multiple clearance joints

A general methodology for dynamic modeling and analysis of multibody systems with multiple clearance joints is presented and discussed in this paper. The joint components that constitute a real joint are modeled as colliding bodies, being their behavior influenced by geometric and physical properties of the contacting surfaces. A continuous contact force model, based on the elastic Hertz theory together with a dissipative term, is used to evaluate the intra-joint contact forces. Furthermore, the incorporation of the friction phenomenon, based on the classical Coulomb’s friction law, is also discussed. The suitable contact-impact force models are embedded into the dynamics of multibody systems methodologies. An elementary mechanical system is used to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the presented approach, and to discuss the main assumptions and procedures adopted. Different test scenarios are considered with the purpose of performing a parametric study for quantifying the influence of the clearance size, input crank speed and number of clearance joints on the dynamic response of multibody systems with multiple clearance joints. Additionally, the total computation time consumed in each simulation is evaluated in order to test the computational accuracy and efficiency of the presented approach. From the main results obtained in this study, it can be drawn that clearance size and the operating conditions play a crucial role in predicting accurately the dynamic responses of multibody systems.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Dynamic analysis for planar multibody mechanical systems with lubricated joints

The dynamic analysis of planar multibody systems with revolute clearance joints, including dry contact and lubrication effects is presented here. The clearances are always present in the kinematic joints. They are known to be the sources for impact forces, which ultimately result in wear and tear of the joints. A joint with clearance is included in the multibody system much like a revolute joint. If there is no lubricant in the joint, impacts occur in the system and the corresponding impulsive forces are transmitted throughout the multibody system. These impacts and the eventual continuous contact are described here by a force model that accounts for the geometric and material characteristics of the journal and bearing. In most of the machines and mechanisms, the joints are designed to operate with some lubricant fluid. The high pressures generated in the lubricant fluid act to keep the journal and the bearing surfaces apart. Moreover, the lubricant provides protection against wear and tear. The equations governing the dynamical behavior of the general mechanical systems incorporate the impact force due to the joint clearance without lubricant, as well as the hydrodynamic forces owing to the lubrication effect. A continuous contact model provides the intra-joint impact forces. The friction effects due to the contact in the joints are also represented. In addition, a general methodology for modeling lubricated revolute joints in multibody mechanical systems is also presented. Results for a slider-crank mechanism with a revolute clearance joint between the connecting rod and the slider are presented and used to discuss the assumptions and procedures adopted.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

A kriging model for dynamics of mechanical systems with revolute joint clearances

Over the past two decades, extensive work has been conducted on the dynamic effect of joint clearances in multibody mechanical systems. In contrast, little work has been devoted to optimizing the performance of these systems. In this study, the analysis of revolute joint clearance is formulated in terms of a Hertzian-based contact force model. For illustration, the classical slider-crank mechanism with a revolute clearance joint at the piston pin is presented and a simulation model is developed using the analysis/design software MSC.ADAMS. The clearance is modeled as a pin-in-a-hole surface-to-surface dry contact, with an appropriate contact force model between the joint and bearing surfaces. Different simulations are performed to demonstrate the influence of the joint clearance size and the input crank speed on the dynamic behavior of the system with the joint clearance. In the modeling and simulation of the experimental setup and in the followed parametric study with a slightly revised system, both the Hertzian normal contact force model and a Coulomb-type friction force model were utilized. The kinetic coefficient of friction was chosen as constant throughout the study. An innovative design-of-experiment (DOE)-based method for optimizing the performance of a mechanical system with the revolute joint clearance for different ranges of design parameters is then proposed. Based on the simulation model results from sample points, which are selected by a Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) method, a polynomial function Kriging meta-model is established instead of the actual simulation model. The reason for the development and use of the meta-model is to bypass computationally intensive simulations of a computer model for different design parameter values in place of a more efficient and cost-effective mathematical model. Finally, numerical results obtained from two application examples with different design parameters, including the joint clearance size, crank speed, and contact stiffness, are presented for the further analysis of the dynamics of the revolute clearance joint in a mechanical system. This allows for predicting the influence of design parameter changes, in order to minimize contact forces, accelerations, and power requirements due to the existence of joint clearance.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Effects of Clearance Size on the Dynamic Response of Planar Multi-body Systems with Differently Located Frictionless Revolute Clearance Joints

This paper numerically investigates the effects of clearance size of differently located revolute clearance joints without friction on the overall dynamic characteristics of a multi-body system. A typical planar slider-crank mechanism is used as a demonstration case in which the effects of clearance size of a revolute clearance joint between the crank and connecting rod (c-cr), and between the connecting rod and slider (s-cr) are separately investigated with comprehensive observations numerically presented. It is observed that, different joints in a multi-body system have different sensitivities to the clearance size. Therefore the dynamic behavior of one clearance revolute joint cannot be used as a general case for a mechanical system. Also the location of the clearance revolute joint and the clearance size play a crucial role in predicting accurately the dynamic responses of the system. Keywords: Chaotic behavior, Contact-impact force, Dynamic response, Multi-body mechanical system, Periodic behavior, Poincare Map, Quasi-periodic behavior, revolute clearance joint

Dynamic analysis of slider-crank mechanism with clearance fault

In this paper, the dynamic behavior of the slider-crank mechanism with clearance fault is investigated. The revolute joint with clearance is equivalent to a virtual massless rod, and then the dynamic equation of the crank slider mechanism with clearance is established by the Lagrangian method. In addition, a three-dimensional dynamic model of the crank slider mechanism with clearance is also established by ADAMS. The numerical results show that the clearance affects the displacement and velocity response of the crank-slider mechanism in a weak way, but influences the acceleration response of the mechanism in a significant manner. Due to the existence of the clearance, the revolute joint of the mechanism produces a rub-impact phenomenon, and the larger the clearance, the greater the impact strength. During the rub-impact process, there are three kinds of motion states of separation, collision and contact occur

A review of friction models in interacting joints for durability design.

This paper presents a comprehensive review of friction modelling to provide an understanding of design for durability within interacting systems. Friction is a complex phenomenon and occurs at the interface of two components in relative motion. Over the last several decades, the effects of friction and its modelling techniques have been of significant interests in terms of industrial applications. There is however a need to develop a unified mathematical model for friction to inform design for durability within the context of varying operational conditions. Classical dynamic mechanisms model for the design of control systems has not incorporated friction phenomena due to non-linearity behaviour. Therefore, the tribological performance concurrently with the joint dynamics of a manipulator joint applied in hazardous environments needs to be fully analysed. Previously the dynamics and impact models used in mechanical joints with clearance have also been examined. The inclusion of reliability and durability during the design phase is very important for manipulators which are deployed in harsh environmental and operational conditions. The revolute joint is susceptible to failures such as in heavy manipulators these revolute joints can be represented by lubricated conformal sliding surfaces. The presence of pollutants such as debris and corrosive constituents has the potential to alter the contacting surfaces, would in turn affect the performance of revolute joints, and puts both reliability and durability of the systems at greater risks of failure. Key literature is identified and a review on the latest developments of the science of friction modelling is presented here. This review is based on a large volume of knowledge. Gaps in the relevant field have been identified to capitalise on for future developments. Therefore, this review will bring significant benefits to researchers, academics and industrial professionals