LARGE DISPLACEMENT ANALYSIS OF SUBMERGED MULTIBODY SYSTEMS

This paper discusses algorithms for large displacement analysis of interconnected flexible and rigid multibody systems. Hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads for systems being submerged in water are also considered. The systems may consist of cables and beams and may combine very flexible parts with rigid parts. Various ways of introducing structural joints are discussed. A special implementation of the Hilber-Hughes-Taylor time integration scheme for constrained non-linear systems is outlined. The formulation is general and allows for displacements and rotational motion of unlimited size. Aspects concerning efficient solution of constrained dynamic problems are discussed. These capabilities have been implemented in a general purpose non-linear finite element program. Applications involving static and dynamic analysis of a bi-articulated tower and a floating tripod platform kept in place by three anchor lines are discussed.