Speeding Up Multibody Analysis by Parallel Computing

The paper describes the application of parallel techniques to a multibody multidisciplinary formulation in order to speed up the solution of complex nonlinear analyses. The problem is stated in terms of a system of nonlinear Differential-Algebraic Equations (DAE). The parallel solution is obtained by means of a coarse-scale substructuring domain decomposition method, which is able to exploit the characteristic quasi-monodimensional topology that multibody models usually present. The representation of explicit constraints in form of algebraic equations requires particular care in the treatment of the related unknowns, to avoid local singularity problems. The code has been successfully tested on different computer architectures, such as an SMP HP-N 4000 and a cluster of PCs. Special attention has been dedicated to producing a code that will efficiently run on the latter type of parallel machines. The analysis of a nonlinear beam bending is presented as a first test case. The algorithm behavior has been also tested on a more complex system such as a helicopter rotor.

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