1.

DYNAMICS OF A RIGID BODY

This chapter deals with the dynamic analysis of single rigid bodies.

1.1 Planar motion

Let us consider a rigid body subjected to a planar motion. Let us denote by m and JG the mass and the
mass moment of inertia evaluated about an axis passing through the center of mass G of the body. Let us
denote by ω and ω  the absolute angular speed and absolute angular acceleration of the body, while aG
is the absolute acceleration of the barycenter G. If the rigid body is translating, any point of the body has
the same acceleration, aP, and velocity, vP. If the rigid body is rotating or roto-translating, each point P of
the body is characterized by a specific acceleration vector aP. Therefore, the infinitesimal inertia force
associated with the infinitesimal mass d m = ρ d V is: d Fi = − d m a P .
Then, all the infinitesimal inertia forces d Fi form a distribution of vectors that are parallel only in the
case of a translational motion. Therefore, in a general case of planar motion, the distribution of all the
inertia forces acting on the rigid body is equivalent to an inertial force, Fi G , applied to the center of mass
G, and an inertial torque, M i G , applied to the body. The barycentrical inertial force is given by:

Fi G = − m aG (1.1)
The inertial torque, evaluated using a mass moment of inertia, JG, about a barycentrical axis, is given by:
M i G = − JG ω
 (1.2)
where ω
 is the absolute angular acceleration of the body.

Now, let us consider an isolated rigid body, that is a body for which any possible external constraint has
been removed, and substituted with the corresponding reaction forces and torques, R vj and M vk ,
respectively, with j = 1, 2, …, n1, and k = 1, 2, …, n2 . Besides, if the rigid body is connected to other
bodies, in order to isolate this body it is necessary to remove any possible internal joint and replace it with
the corresponding internal forces and torques , Fsj and M sk , respectively, with j = 1, 2, …, n3, and k = 1,
2, …, n4 .
The rigid body can be subjected to driving and resistance external forces and moments, Fext j and M ext k ,
with j = 1, 2, …, n5, and k = 1, 2, …, n6 . Then, the effects of possible fields of forces (gravitational,
electromagnetic, etc.) can be simulated by means of a suitable set of forces and moments, Ff j and M f k ,
with j = 1, 2, …, n7, and k = 1, 2, …, n8 . Let us denote by Pj the point to which each of the above
mentioned forces are applied, and by ( P −O )
j the position vector of these points with respect to an
arbitrary pole O.
The equations of motion of the rigid body can be expressed as:

⎛ n1 ⎞ ⎛ n3 ⎞ ⎛ n5 ⎞ ⎛ n7 ⎞
⎜ ∑ vj ⎟ ⎜ ∑ sj ⎟ ⎜ ∑ ext j ⎟ + ⎜ ∑ F f j ⎟ + Fi G = 0
R + R + F (1.3)
⎝ j=1 ⎠ ⎝ j=1 ⎠ ⎝ j=1 ⎠ ⎝ j=1 ⎠
 ⎛ n1 ⎞ ⎛ n3 ⎞ ⎛ n5 ⎞
(
⎜ ∑ Pj − O ) ∧ R vj ⎟ + ⎜ ∑ Pj − O ( ) ( )
∧ R sj ⎟ + ⎜ ∑ Pj − O ∧ Fext j ⎟ +
⎝ j=1 ⎠ ⎝ j=1 ⎠ ⎝ j=1 ⎠
⎛ n7 ⎞
(
+ ⎜ ∑ Pj − O ) ∧F f j (
⎟ + G − O ∧ Fi G + ) (1.4)
⎝ j=1 ⎠
⎛ n2 ⎞ ⎛ n4 ⎞ ⎛ n6 ⎞ ⎛ n8 ⎞
+ ⎜ ∑ M vk ⎟ + ⎜ ∑ M sk ⎟ + ⎜ ∑ M ext k ⎟ + ⎜ ∑ M f k ⎟ + M i G = 0
⎝ k =1 ⎠ ⎝ k =1 ⎠ ⎝ k =1 ⎠ ⎝ k =1 ⎠

Eq.(1.3) expresses the equilibrium of all the forces acting on the isolated rigid body. This vector equation
in the two dimensional space can be decomposed into two scalar equations obtained projecting all the
forces into two orthogonal directions.
Eq.(1.4) is the equilibrium of all the torques, and the moments of all the forces, about pole O.

1.2 3-D motion

Consider a rigid body subjected to a roto-translational motion in the three dimensional space. Let us
denote by m the rigid body mass, while the Inertia Tensor is:
⎡ J xx J xy J xz ⎤
[ J ] = ⎢⎢J yx J yy J yz ⎥
⎥
(1.5)
⎢⎣ J zx J zy J zz ⎥⎦
The angular velocity vector can be expressed as:
ω = i ωx + j ω y + k ωz (1.6)

where ωx , ω y , ωz , are the angular velocity components about the axes x, y, z. The angular acceleration
vector can be expressed as:
ω
 = iω
 x + jω
y+ kω
z (1.7)

x, ω
where ω y, ω
 z , are the angular acceleration components about the axes x, y, z.
The effects of all the infinitesimal inertia forces d Fi , the rigid body is subjected to, are equivalent to a
single inertial force and an inertial torque. The inertial force, Fi G , applied to the center of mass G is
given by:
Fi G = − m aG (1.8)

The inertial torque, M i , is can be expressed as:

⎧ Μ ix ⎫ ⎡ J xx − J xy − J xz ⎤ ⎧ω
x⎫ ⎡ 0 J zy − J yz ⎤ ⎧ωx2 ⎫
⎪ ⎪ ⎢ ⎥ ⎪ ⎪ ⎪ 2⎪
M i = ⎨ Μ iy ⎬ = − ⎢ − J yx J yy − J yz ⎥  y ⎬ + ⎢⎢ − J zx
⎨ω 0
⎥
J xz ⎥ ⎨ω y ⎬ (1.9)
⎪Μ ⎪ ⎢⎣ − J zx − J zy J zz ⎥⎦ ⎪ω ⎪ ⎢⎣ J yx − J xy 0 ⎥⎦ ⎪ω 2 ⎪
⎩ iz ⎭ ⎩z⎭ ⎩ z⎭
If a barycentrical principal inertial frame is used, all the cross-products Jik are null. That is, the origin of
the reference system must coincide with the barycenter G of the body and the axes x, y, z must be oriented
as the principal axes.
Then, the equations of motion can be written considering the equilibrium of all the forces acting on the
isolated rigid body. This vector equation in the three dimensional space can be decomposed into three
scalar equations obtained projecting all the forces into three orthogonal directions.
Besides, the equilibrium of all the torques and of the moments of all the forces about a pole O can be
written. This gives rise to a further vector equation in the three dimensional space that can be decomposed
into three scalar equations obtained projecting all the moments into three orthogonal directions.
The above mentioned six scalar equations allow the motion of the rigid body, which has six degrees of
freedom, to be studied.

2. DYNAMICS OF A MECHANICAL SYSTEM

Work in progress