Static Analysis of the Lumped Mass Cable Model Using a Shooting Algorithm

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on a method to solve the static configuration for a lumped mass cable system. The method demonstrated here is intended to be used prior to performing a dynamics simulation of the cable system. Conventional static analysis approaches resort to dynamics relaxation methods or root-finding algorithms (such as the Newton-Raphson method) to find the equilibrium profile. The alternative method demonstrated here is general enough for most cable configurations (slack or taut) and ranges of cable elasticity. The forces considered acting on the cable are due to elasticity, weight, buoyancy and hydrodynamics. For the three-dimensional problem, the initial cable profile is obtained from a set of two equations, regardless of the cable discretization resolution. Our analysis discusses regions and circumstances when failures in the method are encountered