Application of Parallel Computing to Joint-Disconnected Multibody Systems

In some areas of application, large multibody systems are encountered which are not completely coupled by kinematic constraints (joints). For these “joint-disconnected” systems, the generalized mass matrix is block diagonal and the coordinate accelerations associated with each block may be solved with independent dynamic inversions. In the absence of a complex (fully coupled) mass matrix, coupling through interaction forces becomes the dominant issue in parallel multibody solutions. An implementation which addresses these issues is described and evaluated on two current parallel platforms. The results demonstrate that inexpensive parallel resources can significantly improve the execution time.Copyright © 2005 by ASME