Flexible multibody systems-fluid interaction

Modelling the dynamics of a exible multibody system coupled to a rigid container carrying a uid with a free surface is addressed. The proposed methodology allows the analyst to implement all sort of non-linearities inherent in the dynamics of the structure. Potential ow with modi ed Rayleigh damping is used to model the uid. Non-linear sloshing e ects are considered and no simpli cations are made on the eld equations and boundary conditions. A set of rst-order di erential equations for the motion of both the structure and the uid are presented. Emphasis is placed on the point that the motion of the exible multibody system is not prescribed but is found as part of the solution procedure. Some improvements are presented with respect to a previous introductory work by the authors. Detailed derivations and two numerical examples are presented: a exible column supporting a rigid water tank (with a comparison using an approximate method) and a double exible-link pendulum coupled to a rigid container. ? 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This paper was produced under the auspices of the U.S. Government and it is therefore not subjected to copyright in the U.S.