Modelling of a 3DOF Trebuchet

Nov 2017- Dec 2017

A trebuchet has three degrees of freedom, one of which is initially constrained because the mass rests on the floor. As the counterweight descends, the mass slides accross the floor, eventually the contact is lost and the mass is launched when the two links align.

After the projectile is launched, the mass impacts a horizontal line at a height of 2.5m from the base. To show realistic results, a coefficient of restitution with a value of 0.5 is added to the impact update law. The angular velocity of mass just changes direction owing to friction.

The entire simulation was done using Mathematica and the detailed report on problem formulation and simulation can be found here.

The entire simulation was done using Mathematica. The link to the Git Repository is here.

Skills Involved

  • Mathematica
  • Lagrangian Dynamics
  • Rigid Body Simulations
Projects