Array as input in force damper block

I know that the Force and Damper block accept only scalar values as input, so I want to know if there is some trick to use a vector as input. If not, can you suggest me some simple method to replace this block?

Answer 1

[Steve Miller]

There are many ways to do this. One way to do it for a general translational case where you are connecting any two arbitrarily oriented frames is to put a Prismatic Joint between these two points and define your force law using Physical Signal blocks or Simscape Language.

Below are a couple screenshots showing one way to do this on sm_four_bar.slx. The reason the additonal joints and Rigid Transform blocks are used is to put the spring in the xz-plane.

Thanks,

--Steve

Here you can see the nonlinear elemented added between the two links in the four-bar linkage.

These blocks implement a nonlinear spring-damper between two frames on the four bar linkage.

[Tudor Miron]

Am I missing something or there's a little mistake in the model - v (velocity) is fed to Spring lookup table and translation to damper look up table? I would assume that it should be the other way around?

Overall this a very neat way to implement a non linear damper.

Thank you,

Ted