The Application of Non-Linear Boundary Conditions to a Linearly Elastic Model to Achieve Multi-State Structural Behavior in a Large-Displacement Mechanical System Simulation

Structural elasticity is increasingly perceived as vital to the fidelity of Mechanical System Simulation (MSS) analyses of complex systems under-going large motion. The use of modal elastic system components subject to non-linear loading has become commonplace. An additional use of nonlinear boundary conditions is that of altering the linear elastic behavior of the system structure(s) to achieve multi-state elastic behavior from a single, linear structure. The method is used in this paper to simulate with ADAMS^® the effect of an aircraft experiencing a partial structural failure as a result of a hard landing.