.DeployStructLib.Parts.Cloth.cloth

Information

Block for modeling flexible blankets, such as solar blankets.

There are two formulations. One formulation is a finite element formulation based on natural strains. Both triangle and quadrilateral elements are available. This formulation has been thoroughly validated but does not currently include bending stiffness. A second formulation, a spring-mass formulation, is also provided, but it has not been validated.

To use this block, be sure to set M and N and specify the initial configuration, using the flags (flat, zFold, etc). If using the finite element formulation, flat and z-folded are available as initial configurations. To start in a bent configuration with the finite element formulaton, use two blankets in a flat formulation, connected to each other at the bottom of the fold, and be sure to set appropriate z-coordinates. See DeployStructLib.Parts.Section for an example of how to do this.

It is also important to set P-values and their respective _starts correctly. Parameters P1-P4 are relative coordinates describing the geometry of the cloth when it is fully extended. If, for example, the cloth being modeled was rectangular, with width=w and length=L, then the P-values might be: P1={0, 0, 0}, P2={0, w, 0}, P3={L, w, 0}, P4={L, 0, 0}. The _start values are the absolute coordinate, in world, at which each corner of the cloth should start.

A cloth has N+1 connections on each side. SideA connections are always MultiBody Frames. SideB connections can be Frames (if useSideBFrame is true, which is the default) or they can be DeployStructLib.Interfaces.Location connectors. Use locations on SideB if connecting to another cloth block, such as in DeployStructLib.Parts.Section. To connect to beams or other non-cloth blocks, use Frames. To maintain proper parameterization, make connections in a for loop.

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