Dynamics Modeling and Simulation of Mechanical Systems with Clearance Revolute Joint Based on Reduced Multibody System Transfer Matrix Method

To concisely and efficiently investigate the influence of the clearance joint on the dynamics characteristics of mechanical systems, this study proposes a novel methodology for the dynamics modeling and simulation of mechanical systems with clearance joint based on the Reduced Multibody System Transfer Matrix Method (RMSTMM). By selecting contact forces as state variables of the state vector, the transfer equation of a planar clearance revolute joint is derived and established, integrating a novel joint treatment strategy within the RMSTMM framework. A typical planar four-bar mechanism featuring a clearance revolute joint serves as a numerical example to demonstrate the method. The Lankarani-Nikravesh theory and Coulomb friction theory are applied to model the contact action. The deduction process, recurrence relations, and simulation procedure for this illustrative example are presented, followed by a discussion of the numerical results. The proposed method is verified to be a concise, stylized, and efficient approach for solving dynamics problems of mechanical systems with clearance joint.