For my project, I am planning to conduct simulations in Simulink for an investigation on viscoelasticity behaviour that 3D printed plastic coupons seem to exhibit. Viscoelastic behaviour can be represented by different spring-dashpot combinations such as the ones seen in the Maxwell or Kevin-Voigt models.
For this purpose, I will be using Simscape elements to represent the layers of the 3D-printed object using spring, mass and dampers in the system. For my first attempt, I have used just a simple two mass system with spring-dashpot in series and observe their displacement using the scope element. For the the mechanical source, I have tried using both an ideal translational velocity source as well as an ideal force source. Here is my Simulink diagram:
Initially, I tried using an ideal translational velocity source, I encountered two warnings:
Thus, I attempted to use an ideal force source instead as most of the examples for modelling in spring-mass-damper using Simscape that I found used that as a mechanical source instead, which managed to work. (I only changed the source from an ideal translational velocity to an ideal force source)
However for the purpose of my experiment, it would serve me better to use the ideal translational velocity source instead as the strain testing was conducted at a constant speed of 10mm/s that is to say a constant velocity rather than a constant force which would imply that the speed is changing.
I am not sure whether the warnings obtained when using the ideal translational velocity element would affect my results and how I can deal with the warnings, would really appreciate any help I can get as I am super new to Simulink! :)
