Flexible Multibody Dynamics

Part I: Basic tools and concepts: 1. Vectors and tensors.- 2. Coordinate Systems.- 3. Basic Principles.- 4. The Geometric Description of Rotation.- Part II: Rigid Body Dynamics: 5. Kinematics of Rigid Bodies.- 6. Kinetics of Rigid Bodies.- Part III: Concepts of Analytical Dynamics: 7. Basic Concepts of Analytical Dynamics.- 8. Variational and Energy Principles.- Part IV: Constrained Dynamical Systems: 9. Constrained Systems: Preliminaries.- 10. Constrained Systems: classical formulations.- 11. Constrained systems: advanced formulations.- 12. Constrained systems: numerical methods.- Part V: Parameterization of rotation and motion: 13. Parameterization of rotation.- 14. Parameterization of motion.- Part VI: Flexible multibody dynamics: 15. Flexible multibody systems: preliminaries.- 16. Formulation of flexible elements.- 17. Finite element tools.- 18. Mathematical tools.- References.- Index.

Olivier Bauchau teaches and conducts research in the fields of structural dynamics, multibody dynamics, experimental dynamics, and mechanics of advanced composite materials and structures. He was educated at Université de l'Etat à Liège (Belgium), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. He has worked as a researcher at St. Gobain Récherches in Paris, France and as associate professor at the department of Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, and Mechanics at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, before settling as a professor at the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Faculty responsibilities include teaching of graduate and undergraduate courses, and conducting research in the fields of structural dynamics, multibody dynamics, experimental dynamics, and mechanics of advanced composite materials and structures.

Professor Bauchau is an Engineering Consultant with United Technologies Research Center in Hartford, CT.; Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, CT.;  Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth, TX.; NASA Ames Research Center in Moffet Field, CA; NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA; Advanced Rotorcraft Technology Inc. in Mountain View, CA.; Materials Technologies Corporation in Monroe, CT.

His fields of expertise include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of Theory of Structures, Strength of Materials, Advanced Structural Analysis, Design with Composite Materials, Aeroelasticity, Finite Element Methodologies, Engineering Mechanics, Structural Dynamics, Machine Dynamics, and Engineering Laboratories, as well as conducting research in the areas of Finite Element Methods for Structural and Multibody Dynamics, Experimental Mechanics and Dynamics, and the Design and Manufacturing of Composite Materials and Structures.

From the reviews:

"This interesting and comprehensive book covers much more than the title might suggest. ... The author has thus taken care to lay out the material in the first parts so that the reader has all notations and concepts clearly understood before delving into flexible multibody dynamics. ... key systems are presented early in the text and then studied again later on so as to illustrate the particular content of each chapter. This has great pedagogical value and will undoubtedly be appreciated by students." (Philippe A. Müllhaupt, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2012 f)

"This is a textbook intended for graduate students studying current issues in dynamics. ... the author provides numerous examples and guided problems throughout the text. The physical appearance and editing are excellent, with high-quality figures (in color) and quite readable exposition. Purchase by advanced dynamics students, by practitioners, by researchers, and by libraries is highly recommended." (Ronald L. Huston, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1209, 2011)