Application of Lagrange's equation to rigid-elastic coupling dynamics.

A consistent focus in theoretical mechanics has been on how to apply Lagrange's equation to continuum mechanics. This paper uses the concept of a variational derivative and its laws of operation to investigate the derivation of Lagrange's equation, which is then applied to nonlinear elasto-dynamics. In accordance with the work-energy principle and the energy conservation law, kinetic and potential energies are proposed for rigid-elastic coupling dynamics, whose governing equation is established by manipulating Lagrange's equation. In addition, case studies are used to demonstrate the application of the proposed method to spacecraft dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]