On Lagrange multipliers in flexible multibody dynamics

The Lagrange multiplier technique plays a key role for the treatment of constraints in multibody systems. In contrast to the well-understood rigid body case, the formulation of constraints for elastic bodies requires special care. This paper provides an introduction to the underlying mathematical theory and shows which models are well-defined and which are questionable. Additionally, estimates on the influence of perturbations are given. A simulation example illustrates the results.