Numerical method for dynamics of multi-body systems with two-dimensional Coulomb dry friction and nonholonomic constraints.

Based on the dynamical theory of multi-body systems with nonholonomic constraints and an algorithm for complementarity problems, a numerical method for the multi-body systems with two-dimensional Coulomb dry friction and nonholonomic constraints is presented. In particular, a wheeled multi-body system is considered. Here, the state transition of stick-slip between wheel and ground is transformed into a nonlinear complementarity problem (NCP). An iterative algorithm for solving the NCP is then presented using an event-driven method. Dynamical equations of the multi-body system with holonomic and nonholonomic constraints are given using Routh equations and a constraint stabilization method. Finally, an example is used to test the proposed numerical method. The results show some dynamical behaviors of the wheeled multi-body system and its constraint stabilization effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]