Although formulations have been developed for integrating nonlinear flexible bodies within multibody dynamics frameworks, the runtime performance of these formulations is slow to the point where their usefulness is questionable. In this project, we seek to use software optimization techniques and new numerical techniques with the goal of producing speed-ups of 1 to 2 orders of magnitude. The results of a select set of benchmarking tests will be timed through the course of the project to identify the techniques leading to the largest speed gains. Our software and modeling advances will be continuously validated to ensure that solutions maintain their accuracy through the performance improvement process.
Contributors: Mike Taylor, Radu Serban and Dan Negrut