Abstract
The paper proposes a modeling method of flexible multibody systems based on principle of interconnection, especially, for the case in which flexible bodies are given by flexible beams that undergo large overall motions by mechanical joints. First, it is shown how flexible beams can be modeled as multiport systems using the principle of interconnection and also how geometric nonlinearities appeared in couplings between flexible deformations and large overall motions can be incorporated into the FEM model. It is further shown how kinematical and dynamical relations associated with large deformations of the beam can be formulated by employing moving frames and also be systematically represented by a dual set of connection matrices. Lastly, the present model is examined by numerical simulations.
