Flexible multibody dynamics of the Enterprise amusement ride

Flexible multibody dynamics of the Enterprise amusement ride | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Flexible multibody dynamics of the Enterprise amusement ride Harmen Roubos, Saeed Mekdachi Galayini, Sven Onland, Jurnan Schilder This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6347807/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The Enterprise is an example of an amusement ride in which passengers are subjected large motions and dynamic loads. These loads also cause continuous deformations in the structural parts of the ride. Flexible multibody dynamics models are ideal to simulate the coupled behavior of large motions and small elastic deformations. However, these models are not often used in practice, because this is not required by the current safety standards. In this work, a methodology for developing a full flexible multibody dynamic model of the Enterprise is presented and compared to both an analytical model and a rigid multibody model. Where possible, the results are validated using experimental tests on the Enterprise in Avonturenpark Hellendoorn. The results show that the flexibility of the rotating frame has very limited influence on the swinging motion of the gondola and on the g-forces on the passengers. However, the flexible model can be used to simulate the deformations of the rotating frame more realistically. The internal dynamics of the rotating frame account for approximately 10 percent of the elastic deformation of the frame. The transient simulation of these vibrations can potentially be used to further improve the assessment of static strength and fatigue strength. The methodology presented in this work can be used to study the dynamic behavior of many other amusement rides. Amusement rides flexible multibody dynamics floating frame of reference formulation finite element method model order reduction Simscape multibody Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6347807","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":441939956,"identity":"6cf9727c-5832-46dd-a519-9862ebbaa75e","order_by":0,"name":"Harmen Roubos","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Twente","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Harmen","middleName":"","lastName":"Roubos","suffix":""},{"id":441939957,"identity":"1daa58eb-8b28-4fb1-8f1e-c4f62ffa8791","order_by":1,"name":"Saeed Mekdachi Galayini","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Twente","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Saeed","middleName":"Mekdachi","lastName":"Galayini","suffix":""},{"id":441939958,"identity":"5cc183df-90d5-4b09-9d47-f39fa4c14071","order_by":2,"name":"Sven Onland","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Twente","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sven","middleName":"","lastName":"Onland","suffix":""},{"id":441939959,"identity":"7488e265-b37f-49cb-bbcb-883c504b471b","order_by":3,"name":"Jurnan Schilder","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACxgYwdYCHjyGBgeEDQsKCsBY2oBbGGQwGQA4zSESCkGUHGEBamHmI0cLcwHuA8UfNHRk29uRjn23b/iT2S/cffMC4A7cWxga+BGaeY8942HieJc/ObTNInDnnMLMB4xl8WngMmBkbDvOwSeQYMwO15G64kcwmwdiGXwvjT7CW/M/MlkAt+28ks/8gpIWBF2ILMzMjyBaJZDYGvFqa+RIO8xw7DPKLMWPPOeP6GTeSjSUS8WgxbO89+PBHzWF7fvbkxww/yuSM+WckPvzwsc0Gt5ZmHmCkYIAEnBoYGOQZePDIjoJRMApGwSgAAQCTTUrIRtekaAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"University of Twente","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jurnan","middleName":"","lastName":"Schilder","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-03-31 21:23:15","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6347807/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6347807/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":94213361,"identity":"268a594e-7c36-4a7d-929d-aac0b8921d71","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-23 16:01:20","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1576452,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"FullPaperRoubosMekdachiGalayniOnlandSchilder.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6347807/v1_covered_32372e75-7b74-4d1f-a092-350052e203b0.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Flexible multibody dynamics of the Enterprise amusement ride","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Amusement rides, flexible multibody dynamics, floating frame of reference formulation, finite element method, model order reduction, Simscape multibody","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6347807/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6347807/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"The Enterprise is an example of an amusement ride in which passengers are subjected large motions and dynamic loads. 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