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Structural Mechanics Blog Posts

Modeling a Helicopter Swashplate Mechanism

June 14, 2013

A swashplate mechanism, used in a helicopter to control the pitch of the rotor blades, can be easily simulated using the Multibody Dynamics Module available in COMSOL Multiphysics. This module enables simulation of an assembly of flexible and rigid bodies, together with physical phenomena from fluid, heat, and electrical applications, among others. Here, we will show you a model to convey how a swashplate mechanism works and at the same time analyze the stresses and deformation in the flexible rotor […]

Random Load Fatigue

May 30, 2013

In many applications, loads applied to structures are random in nature. The sampling results of the structural response will differ depending on the data collection time. Although the stress experienced is not always high, the repeated loading and unloading can lead to fatigue. The engineering challenges in these types of applications are defining the stress response to the random load history in the critical points, and predicting fatigue damage. This is simulated with the Cumulative Damage feature in the Fatigue […]

Double Pendulum Simulation Tutorial

May 22, 2013

Dynamic simulation of a double pendulum system can easily be performed using the Multibody Dynamics Module available in COMSOL Multiphysics. This module enables the mechanical simulations of assemblies of flexible and rigid bodies, often coupled with other phenomena such as from heat, electrical, and others.

Simulate Mechanical Systems with the Multibody Dynamics Module

May 10, 2013

The new Multibody Dynamics Module provides engineers with an advanced set of tools to design and optimize mechanical systems to reduce product development costs. This module enables simulation of an assembly of flexible and rigid bodies, along with physical phenomena like structural, heat, electrical, and others. One of the key capabilities included in this module is an easier and faster way of building connections between different bodies using various types of predefined Joints. The objective of multibody analysis is to […]

Multibody Dynamics

April 15, 2013

The dynamic analysis of interconnected bodies or links is called a multibody analysis. These bodies are connected by joints that constrain their relative motion. The simplest element of a multibody system is a single particle, which can be considered using Newton’s laws of motion. Multibody Dynamics has a long and storied background.

Barrel Hinge Analysis

April 9, 2013

We’ve all encountered hinges before; they are frequently used to connect different parts of mechanical assemblies in a way that allows them to move freely relative to one another, in a single degree of freedom. There are several different types of hinges, including everything from barrel hinges to friction hinges, with lots in between. Before incorporating a hinge into a mechanical assembly, you might want to get a sense of how it will hold up by performing a hinge analysis.

Structural Analysis with Thin Elastic Layers

April 3, 2013

Some structural applications involve thin or high aspect ratio structures sandwiched between other relatively low aspect ratio structures. For example, if a piezoelectric transducer is glued on the surface of a mechanical system, the thickness of the adhesive layer is very small in comparison to the two structures it glues together. Numerical modeling of such a thin layer in two or three dimensions requires resolving it with an appropriate finite element mesh. This can result in a large concentration of […]

The Graphene Revolution: Part 2

March 27, 2013

In a previous blog entry I discussed some of the exotic properties of graphene. The fact that graphene consists of a single layer of atoms means the aspect ratio of any graphene-based structure may be very high. High aspect geometries present their own array of modeling challenges.


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