Efficient simulation of mechanism kinematics using bond graphs

This paper presents a methodology for obtaining the equations corresponding to a mechanism that are necessary for carrying out a kinematic simulation. A simulation of this kind means obtaining the coordinates dependent on the system according to the movements imposed by the degrees of freedom. Unlike a dynamic simulation, where the set of elements moves according to the different external forces existing, in kinematic simulation the movement of the whole set depends exclusively on imposing movement on one or more of the bodies according to the degrees of freedom initially possessed by the mechanism. After presenting an analysis of how to obtain the necessary equations for several simple systems, this methodology is applied to the particular case of a front-loader, where in order to move and tilt the bucket, various closed mechanisms are integrated.