A network model for rigid-body motion

Abstract

In the formulation of equations of motion of three-dimensional mechanical systems, the techniques utilized and developed to analyze the electrical networks based on linear graph theory can conveniently be used. The success of this approach, however, relies on the availability of a complete and adequate mathematical model of the rigid body valid in the three-dimensional motion. This article is devoted to the derivation of such a mathematical model for the rigid body as a (k + 1)-port component. In this derivation, the dynamic properties of the rigid body are automatically included as a consequence of the analytical procedures used in the article. In this model, a general form of the terminal equations is given. In many applications, however, its special form, also given in this article, is used. © 1992 Kluwer Academic Publishers.