1 © 2013 MathWorks, Inc.

SimMechanics Model and simulate multibody mechanical systems

Javier Gazzarri

Tom Priestley

Marc Semma

General Electric

2

𝑚𝑥 + 𝐵𝑥 + 𝑘𝑥 = F

3

Simulink

– Signal-based modeling

– Causal or input / output

R1

C1 v1

i +

_

R1

C1

i2

+

_ i3

i1 R2

C2 v2

Simscape

– Network-based modeling

– Acausal

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Agenda

- Physical Modeling – A different way to think your design

- Advanced 3D mechanical modeling

- Pendulum

- Aileron

- Import from CAD

- Code generation and deployment

- IP protection

- Precompiled execution

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Simscape

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Demo

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SimMechanics

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Multibody simulation

of 3D mechanical systems

Bodies, joints, transforms

No equations

System-level analysis

Control development in Simulink

Sim

Mech

an

ics

Sim

Dri

velin

e

Sim

Hyd

rau

lics

Sim

Ele

ctr

on

ics

Sim

Po

werS

yste

ms

Simscape

MATLAB, Simulink

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Body Definition – MATLAB

– CAD import

Mass and inertia tensor

calculation

3D animation of simulation

results

Connect to

– Control

– Other physical domains

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System structure

– Parts (mass, inertia)

– Coordinate systems

– Joints and constraints

Parameterize in

MATLAB

Save for reuse

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Body Definition

MATLAB

Pre-defined

Mass, inertia properties

calculated automatically

Create complex shapes

connecting solids

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Demo

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CAD Import

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SimMechanics Link

CAD SimMechanics

– Mate definitions joints

Supported off-the-shelf

– SolidWorks

– ProEngineer

– Inventor

Public API for others

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Demo

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Aileron System

- Mechanism

- Actuation - Ideal vs. practical

- Control gain optimization

- C-code generation - Real Time simulation

- Compiled execution

- IP protection

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Demo

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Demo

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Deploying Models as C Code

C Code

Hardware-in-the-Loop

Simulators

Standalone

Executable Other

Simulation

Environments

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Demo

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Sharing Models

Model Developer

Simscape + SimMechanics

Model Users

Simscape

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Conclusions

- Physical Modeling

- Simulink and Simscape

- Simscape – A different way to think your system

- Physical network acausal approach

- SimMechanics – Advanced 3D mechanical

modeling

- Bodies, joints, actuation, sensing

- Import from CAD

- Code generation and deployment

- Sharing and protecting

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Thank You