A co-simulation algorithm for the efficient real-time parallel solution of multibody systems

Abstract This study presents an original formulation for the co-simulation of multibody systems based on partitioning at interface nodes or joints where motion and loads are exchanged between subsystems. The proposed approach shows improved algorithmic stability compared to existing formulations when implemented in explicit, loose coupling, due to the retention of interface mass on both sides of the partition and the explicit exchange of inertia load contributions along with constraint reactions. The stability properties of the proposed approach are illustrated through benchmark problems. Its effectiveness is further validated in complex mechanical systems, including the structural dynamics of beams and shells and the real-time driver-in-the-loop dynamics of a race car.