A Novel Flexible Multibody System Dynamic Analysis Platform of Tower Crane

Current research on tower crane control lacks high-fidelity models and fails to account for the coupling effects between the tower crane structure and the hoisting and luffing systems. A new dynamic analysis platform based on the flexible multibody system theory is proposed in this investigation for the tower crane which contains a large-scale steel structure and hoisting mechanisms undergoing large displacements and large deformations. The Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian–Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation (ALE–ANCF) cable element was employed to model the varying length of the steel rope in the hoisting mechanisms. Nonlinear kinetic equations were used to describe the motion of a luffing trolley. The solving strategy of the system’s dynamical equations are presented. Two different trajectories were tested. Simulation results demonstrate the feasibility and rationality of the proposed dynamic analysis platform. The primary conclusion is that this platform serves as a reliable and high-fidelity testbed for developing and evaluating advanced control algorithms under realistic dynamic conditions, thereby providing a dependable tool for both research and engineering applications.