Rotational Spring Arbitrary Motion

In summary, the conversation discusses the modeling of rotational behavior of two bodies connected by three virtual rotational springs. The translational motion is described using a 3x3 diagonal matrix containing the spring constants, while the rotational motion is described using angular velocities, moments of inertia, and moments resulting from the torsional springs. The question is how to calculate these moments for an arbitrary rotation, and the suggestion is to use Euler's eigenaxis as the rotational axis for the spring and compute the spring moment as the product of the spring constant and the rotation around the Euler axis.
  • #1
MichaelDeSanta
2
0
What I want to do is model the rotational behaviour of two bodies (1 and 2). They are connected by three virtual rotational springs (representing a link between them). For a normal (translational) spring the forces on body 1 in X, Y, and Z would be easily calculated as:
$$
\mathbf{F}_1 = -\mathbf{K}(\mathbf{q}_1 -\mathbf{q}_2)
$$
with ##\mathbf{q}_1 = \begin{bmatrix} q_{1x} & q_{1y} & q_{1z} \end{bmatrix}^T## and ##\mathbf{q}_2 = \begin{bmatrix} q_{2x} & q_{2y} & q_{2z} \end{bmatrix}^T## the displacements of body 1 and 2, respectively. And ##\mathbf{K}## the 3x3 diagonal matrix containing the spring constants. The translational motion of the bodies is then described as:
$$
\mathbf{m}_1 \ddot{\mathbf{q}}_1 = -\mathbf{K}(\mathbf{q}_1 -\mathbf{q}_2)\\
\mathbf{m}_2 \ddot{\mathbf{q}}_2 = -\mathbf{K}(\mathbf{q}_2 -\mathbf{q}_1)
$$
with ##\mathbf{m}_1## and ##\mathbf{m}_2## the diagnonal mass matrices of body 1 and 2.

Now, I want to do something similar for the rotational motion as a result of the torsional springs. So, the motion of by 1 and 2 is described by:
$$
\dot{\boldsymbol{\omega}}_1 \mathbf{I}_1 + \boldsymbol{\omega}_1 \times \mathbf{I}_1 \boldsymbol{\omega}_1 = \mathbf{M}_1 \\
\dot{\boldsymbol{\omega}}_2 \mathbf{I}_2 + \boldsymbol{\omega}_2 \times \mathbf{I}_2 \boldsymbol{\omega}_2 = \mathbf{M}_2
$$

with ##\boldsymbol{\omega}## the angular velocities of the bodies (expressed in a body frame), ##\mathbf{I}## the moments of inertia (expressed in a body frame) and ##\mathbf{M}_1## and ##\mathbf{M}_2## are the moments resulting from the torsional springs.

I'm looking for a method to calculate these moments.

I was thinking about the following. Consider two reference frames, A and B, connected to body 1 and 2, respectively

For a simple rotation ##\psi## around the ##Z_B##-axis the moment due to the spring will be in the negative ##Z_B## direction:
$$
M_B = \begin{bmatrix} 0 \\ 0 \\ -k_z \psi \end{bmatrix}
$$
And for body A the moment will have opposite sign.

My question is how this can be extended to an arbitrary rotation. For example, using a ZYX Euler rotation, denoted by angles ##\psi##, ##\theta##and ##\phi## (commonly called yaw, pitch, roll), the moment could be described as:
$$
M_B = \begin{bmatrix} -k_x \phi \\ -k_y \theta \\ -k_z \psi \end{bmatrix}
$$

However, this gives the impression that the moment is dependent on the order of rotation. Any rotation can be represented by 12 different sets of angles. For example, if an XYX rotation was considered (with angles corresponding to the same orientation of the B-frame) then the moment would be different than before (no moment in the Z-axis), while the rotation is the same.
 
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  • #2
Would it be a good idea to use Euler's eigenaxis ##\vec{e} = \begin{bmatrix} e_x & e_y & e_z \end{bmatrix}^T## as the rotational axis for the spring? And then compute the spring moment as the product of the spring constant and the rotation around the Euler axis?

##
\vec{M} = -\mathbf{K}\vec{e}\theta
##
 

Related to Rotational Spring Arbitrary Motion

1. What is rotational spring arbitrary motion?

Rotational spring arbitrary motion is the motion of a spring that is attached to a rotating object. This motion is caused by the force of the spring trying to return to its original shape after being stretched or compressed.

2. How does a rotational spring work?

A rotational spring works by storing potential energy when it is stretched or compressed and releasing that energy to create motion. This motion can be either rotational or linear, depending on the setup of the spring.

3. What factors affect the motion of a rotational spring?

The motion of a rotational spring is affected by several factors, including the stiffness of the spring, the mass of the rotating object, the speed of rotation, and the angle at which the spring is attached to the object.

4. What applications use rotational spring arbitrary motion?

Rotational spring arbitrary motion has many applications in engineering, such as in mechanical clocks, torsion balances, and torsion pendulum clocks. It is also used in vehicles, such as suspension systems, and in machinery for generating power.

5. How is the motion of a rotational spring calculated?

The motion of a rotational spring can be calculated using Hooke's Law and Newton's second law of motion. Hooke's Law states that the force exerted by a spring is directly proportional to its displacement. Newton's second law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it. By combining these two laws, the motion of a rotational spring can be accurately calculated.

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