Dynamic analysis of geometrically non-linear three-dimensional beams under moving mass

In this paper, we present a coupled dynamic analysis of a moving particle on a deformable three-dimensional frame. The presented numerical model is capable of considering arbitrary curved and twisted initial geometry of the beam and takes into account geometric non-linearity of the structure. Coupled with dynamic equations of the structure, the equations of moving particle are solved. The moving particle represents the dynamic load and varies the mass distribution of the structure and at the same time its path is adapting due to deformability of the structure. A coupled geometrically non-linear behaviour of beam and particle is studied. The equation of motion of the particle is added to the system of the beam dynamic equations and an additional unknown representing the coordinate of the curvilinear path of the particle is introduced. The specially designed finite-element formulation of the three-dimensional beam based on the weak form of consistency conditions is employed where only the boundary conditions are affected by the contact forces.