Dynamics of planar mechanisms by a modular approach

This work deals with the forward dynamics of mechanisms with one Degree of Freedom (DOF). There is presented a chain-based General Purpose (GP) method in which a mechanism is disaggregated into structural Assur groups. Kinematic and force analyses of Assur groups are individually solved to form a library of independent modules. This property is used to reduce inertial parameters and external forces in each structural group (module) that forms the mechanism. The reduction is propagated from module to module until the driving link is reached, and then the forward dynamics is solved analyzing exclusively that link. The presented GP method has a flexibility which is comparable with respect to the GP joint-based methods. The method is applied to the forward dynamics of a sixbar (Watt) mechanism with results that are comparable to the commercial software for Multibody Systems (MBS) dynamics.