Applications of Rigid Body Dynamics
摘要
To illustrate the application of the methods described in the previous chapter, various examples are discussed in this chapter. First, the stability of the steady motion of a torque-free rigid body is considered, demonstrating that rotation about the intermediate principal axis is unstable. Next, the relative motions between two rigid bodies in contact are classified into three categories: sticking, rolling, and sliding, based on which the contact problems are analyzed. Following this, the motions of a spinning top with one point fixed or moving on a smooth plane are explored. The topic of rotor unbalance is then addressed, highlighting its critical importance in rotary machinery. Additionally, the principles of rigid body dynamics are applied to the design of mechanical accelerometers and gyroscopes, which are essential components in Inertial Navigation Systems. General equations for a vehicle with a plane of symmetry are derived, and after modeling the environmental forces acting on vehicles, this chapter concludes with the analysis of the directional stability of automobiles, the longitudinal stability of airplanes, and the straight-line stability of surface ships.