Analysis of Massless Elastic Chains With Servo Controlled Joints

Abstract

The lumping approximation used frequently for dynamic analysis of distributed parameter systems is facilitated for a class of flexible systems by a technique using 4 × 4 coordinate transformation matrices to account for the deflection of elastic elements under load. This approach is used to develop the linear equations of spatial motion for a system of two rigid masses connected by a chain with an arbitrary number of massless beams and controlled joint rotations.