A new trifilar pendulum approach to identify all inertia parameters of a rigid body or assembly

• Published in: Mechanism and machine theory Vol. 44; no. 6; pp. 1270 - 1280
• Main Authors: Hou, Zhi-Chao, Lu, Yi-ning, Lao, Yao-xin, Liu, Dan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Coordinate transform; Error analysis; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Inertia parameters; Measurement and testing methods; Physics; Solid dynamics (ballistics, collision, multibody system, stabilization...); Solid mechanics; Structural and continuum mechanics; Trifilar pendulum; Inertia parameters; Error analysis; Trifilar pendulum; Coordinate transform; Rigid bodies; Error estimation; Torsion pendulum; Solid dynamic; Weight; Angular measurement; Center of mass; System identification; Load balancing; Moment of inertia; Assembly
• ISSN: 0094-114X; 1873-3999
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2008.07.004

An improved approach is presented for using a trifilar pendulum to identify 10 inertia parameters of odd-shaped bodies. The parameters include the mass, the coordinates of the center of gravity, and the moments and products of inertia. Owing to carefully designed procedures of distance measurement and coordinate transform, no angular measurement is necessary for orientation description in the new approach. Balancing weights and load cells are introduced to facilitate the adjustments of the location and orientation of the body during tests. In order to evaluate the precision of the identified results, tentative error indices are suggested for the parameters, respectively. Two examples are given to demonstrate the new approach.