Sensitivity Analysis: Generalized Coordinate Kinematic Systems

Abstract

We now apply the afore developed analysis and sensitivity analysis to kinematically driven rigid body mechanisms. Initially we perform a position analysis, i.e. we determine the mechanism configuration for a given time. This analysis parallels the nonlinear static finite element analysis of Section 9.2. Through differentiation we then perform velocity and acceleration analyses. This procedure is akin to our sensitivity analysis if we view time t as the parameter d _i of interest. Next we evaluate reaction forces in an inverse dynamic analysis. Such forces are often used in subsequent finite element analyses to determine the stress distribution in the mechanism’s components. And finally we perform a sensitivity analysis in its own right to determine how the generalized position, velocity, acceleration and generalized reaction force vectors change as we perturb a model parameter d _i , e.g. a link dimension.