On Stability of the Inverted Pendulum Motion with a Vibrating Suspension Point

Under study is the stability of the inverted pendulum motion whose suspension point vibrates according to a sinusoidal law along a straight line having a small angle with the vertical. Formulating and using the contracting mapping principle and the criterion of asymptotic stability in terms of solvability of a special boundary value problem for the Lyapunov differential equation, we prove that the pendulum performs stable periodic movements under sufficiently small amplitude of oscillations of the suspension point and sufficiently high frequency of oscillations.     

The equations of the approximate theory of the motion of a rigid body with a vibrating suspension point

The motion of a rigid body in a uniform gravity field is investigated. One of the points of the body (the suspension point) performs specified small-amplitude high-frequency periodic or conditionally periodic oscillations (vibrations). The geometry of the body mass is arbitrary. An approximate system of differential equations is obtained, which does not contain the time explicitly and describes the rotational motion of the rigid body with respect to a system of coordinates moving translationally together with the suspension point. The error with which the solutions of the approximate system approximate to the solution of the exact system of equations of motion is indicated. The problem of the stability with respect to the equilibrium of the rigid body, when the suspension point performs vibrations along the vertical, is considered as an application.     

An inverted pendulum on a fixed and a moving base

The plane motions of a controlled single-link pendulum with a fixed suspension point and a pendulum with its suspension point located at the centre of a wheel which rolls without sliding along a flat horizontal surface are considered. The control torque, applied to the pendulum at the suspension point, is bounded in absolute magnitude. A controllability domain is constructed in the linear approximation for the one and the other pendulum, from all points of which the pendulum can be brought into the upper unstable equilibrium position without oscillations about the lower equilibrium. It is shown that the domain of controllability is greater for a pendulum mounted on a wheel, as a result it is more easily stabilizable. Control laws are constructed, under which the domain of attraction is identical to the controllability domain and is thereby the largest possible domain.     

The stability of the equilibrium of a pendulum for vertical oscillations of the point of suspension

The motion of a pendulum, the point of suspension of which is subject to vertical harmonic oscillations of arbitrary frequency and amplitude, is considered. A complete rigorous solution of the non-linear problem of the stability of the relative positions of equilibrium of the pendulum along the vertical is given.     

First integrals and families of symmetric periodic motions of a reversible mechanical system

A reversible mechanical system which allows of first integrals is studied. It is established that, for symmetric motions, the constants of the asymmetric integrals are equal to zero. The form of the integrals of a reversible linear periodic system corresponding to zero characteristic exponents and the structure of the corresponding Jordan Boxes are investigated. A theorem on the non-existence of an additional first integral and a theorem on the structural stabilities of having a symmetric periodic motion (SPM) are proved for a system with m symmetric and k asymmetric integrals. The dependence of the period of a SPM on the constants of the integrals is investigated. Results of the oscillations of a quasilinear system in degenerate cases are presented. Degeneracy and the principal resonance: bifurcation with the disappearance of the SPM and the birth of two asymmetric cycles, are investigated. A heavy rigid body with a single fixed point is studied as the application of the results obtained. The Euler-Poisson equations are used. In the general case, the energy integral and the geometric integral are symmetric while the angular momentum integral turns out to be asymmetric. In the special case, when the centre of gravity of the body lies in the principal plane of the ellipsoid of inertia, all three classical integrals become symmetric. It is ascertained here that any SPM of a body contains four zero characteristic exponents, of which two are simple and two form a Jordan Box. In typical situation, the remaining two characteristic exponents are not equal to zero. All of the above enables one to speak of an SPM belonging to a two-parameter family and the absence of an additional first integral. It is established that a body also executes a pendulum motion in the case when the centre of gravity is close to the principal plane of the ellipsoid of inertia.     

Approximate equations of rotational motion of a rigid body carrying a movable point mass

The dynamics of a compound system, consisting of a rigid body and a point mass, which moves in a specified way along a curve, rigidly attached to the body is investigated. The system performs free motion in a uniform gravity field. Differential equations are derived which describe the rotation of the body about its centre of mass. In two special cases, which allow of the introduction of a small parameter, an approximate system of equations of motion is obtained using asymptotic methods. The accuracy with which the solutions of the approximate system approach the solutions of the exact equations of motion is indicated. In one case, it is assumed that the point mass has a mass that is small compared with the mass of the body, and performs rapid motion with respect to the rigid body. It is shown that in this case the approximate system is integrable. A number of special motions of the body, described by the approximate system, are indicated, and their stability is investigated. In the second case, no limitations are imposed on the mass of the point mass, but it is assumed that the relative motion of the point is rapid and occurs near a specified point of the body. It is shown that, in the approximate system, the motion of the rigid body about its centre of mass is Euler–Poinsot motion.     

Vibrations of a Pendulum with Oscillating Support and Extra Torque

The motion of a driven planar pendulum with vertically periodically oscillating point of suspension and under the action of an additional constant torque is investigated. We study the influence of the torque strength on the transition to chaotic motions of the pendulum using Melnikov's analysis. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Nonlinear Oscillations of a Spring Pendulum at the 1 : 1 : 2 Resonance: Theory,Experiment, and Physical Analogies

Nonlinear spatial oscillations of a material point on a weightless elastic suspension are considered. The frequency of vertical oscillations is assumed to be equal to the doubled swinging frequency (the 1 : 1 : 2 resonance). In this case, vertical oscillations are unstable, which leads to the transfer of the energy of vertical oscillations to the swinging energy of the pendulum. Vertical oscillations of the material point cease, and, after a certain period of time, the pendulum starts swinging in a vertical plane. This swinging is also unstable, which leads to the back transfer of energy to the vertical oscillation mode, and again vertical oscillations occur. However, after the second transfer of the energy of vertical oscillations to the pendulum swinging energy, the apparent plane of swinging is rotated through a certain angle. These phenomena are described analytically: the period of energy transfer, the time variations of the amplitudes of both modes, and the change of the angle of the apparent plane of oscillations are determined. The analytic dependence of the semiaxes of the ellipse and the angle of precession on time agrees with high degree of accuracy with numerical calculations and is confirmed experimentally. In addition, the problem of forced oscillations of a spring pendulum in the presence of friction is considered, for which an asymptotic solution is constructed by the averaging method. An analogy is established between the nonlinear problems for free and forced oscillations of a pendulum and for deformation oscillations of a gas bubble. The transfer of the energy of radial oscillations to a resonance deformation mode leads to an anomalous increase in its amplitude and, as a consequence, to the break-up of a bubble.     

Stabilization of a quasi-conservative system subjected to high frequency excitation

The existence and stability conditions for the steady motions and equilibrium positions of non-linear quasi-conservative systems with fast external perturbations having quasi-periodic and random components are investigated. A change of variables is proposed which reduces Lagrange's equations of the system to standard form. It is shown the averaged system of the first approximation has a canonical form and the effect of fast perturbations (not necessarily potential) is equivalent to a change in the system's potential. This leads to stabilization of unstable equilibrium positions and to the appearance of additional stationary points different from the equilibrium positions of the unperturbed system. The approach used is illustrated by examples; the stability of a pendulum on an elastic suspension when there is suspension point, and the steady motion of a sphere subjected to a high-frequency load. The critical loading of a double pendulum loaded by a pulsating tracking force is estimated. A form of wide-band random perturbations capable of stabilizing the system is considered.     

The non-linear oscillations of a pendulum of variable length on a vibrating base

A generalized scheme for averaging a system with several small independent parameters is described: equations of the first and second approximations are obtained, and an estimate is made of the accuracy of the approximation and the value of the asymptotically long time interval. The problem of the oscillations of a pendulum of variable length on a vibrating base for high vibration frequencies and small amplitudes of harmonic oscillations of the length of the pendulum and its suspension point is considered. Averaged equations of the first and second approximations are obtained, and the bifurcations of the steady motions in the equations of the first approximation, and also in the second approximation for 1:2 resonance, are obtained. One of the possible bifurcations of the phase portrait in the neighbourhood of 1:2 resonance is described based on a numerical investigation. It is shown that a change in the resonance detuning parameter from zero to a value of the first order of infinitesimals in the small parameter leads to stabilization of the upper equilibrium position through a splitting of the separatrices for the resonance case; the splitting of separatrices is accompanied by the occurrence of a stochastic web in the neighbourhood of this equilibrium, its localization, and subsequent contraction to an equilibrium point and the formation of a new oscillation zone.     

The stability of the plane periodic motions of a symmetrical rigid body with a fixed point

A rigorous non-linear analysis of the orbital stability of plane periodic motions (pendulum oscillations and rotations) of a dynamically symmetrical heavy rigid body with one fixed point is carried out. It is assumed that the principal moments of inertia of the rigid body, calculated for the fixed point, are related by the same equation as in the Kovalevskaya case, but here no limitations are imposed on the position of the mass centre of the body. In the case of oscillations of small amplitude and in the case of rotations with high angular velocities, when it is possible to introduce a small parameter, the orbital stability is investigated analytically. For arbitrary values of the parameters, the non-linear problem of orbital stability is reduced to an analysis of the stability of a fixed point of the simplectic mapping, generated by the system of equations of perturbed motion. The simplectic mapping coefficients are calculated numerically, and from their values, using well-known criteria, conclusions are drawn regarding the orbital stability or instability of the periodic motion. It is shown that, when the mass centre lies on the axis of dynamic symmetry (the case of Lagrange integrability), the well-known stability criteria are inapplicable. In this case, the orbital instability of the periodic motions is proved using Chetayev's theorem. The results of the analysis are presented in the form of stability diagrams in the parameter plane of the problem.     

The conditions for loss of stability of the rotation of a dynamically symmetrical rigid body suspended on a string with parametric perturbations

A dynamically symmetrical rigid body suspended on a string is considered. The suspension point performs periodic oscillations. The loss of stability of the system when it performs high-frequency rotations around the axis of dynamic symmetry is investigated. The sufficient conditions for loss of stability are obtained.     

Non-linear oscillations of a Hamiltonian system with 2:1 resonance

Non-linear oscillations of an autonomous Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom in the neighbourhood of a stable equilibrium are considered. It is assumed that the frequency ratio of the linear oscillations is close to or equal to two, and that the Hamiltonian is sign-definite in the neighbourhood of the equilibrium. A solution is presented to the problem of the orbital stability of periodic motions emanating from the equilibrium position. Conditionally periodic motions of an approximate system are analysed taking into account terms of order up to and including three in the normalized Hamiltonian. The KAM theory is used to consider the problem of maintaining these motions taking into account fourth- and higher-order terms in the series expansion of the Hamiltonian in a sufficiently small neighbourhood of the equilibrium. The results are used to investigate non-linear oscillations of an elastic pendulum.     

On conditions of existence of permanent rotations of connected rigid bodies system about vertical vector

In contrast to the classical problem of motion of a heavy rigid body about a fixed point where the permanent rotations are well known and completely investigated [7, 3] as the most simple and good visually demonstrated type of motions, in multibody mechanics under an increasing of quantity of the system bodies, mechanical parameters and the order of differential motion equations the study of such motions is more complicated problem. The problem on permanent rotations of two connected rigid bodies under influence of gravity force was investigated in [2, 4]. In this paper a system consisting of arbitrary constant quantity, n, of heavy rigid bodies which are sequentially jointed in a chain is considered. The conditions of existence of motions when each body permanently rotates about the vertical vector are determined. These conditions are analyzed in a general case when the bodies angular velocities are different.     

Non-linear oscillations of a 1:1 resonance Hamiltonian system

The non-linear oscillations of an autonomous two-degree-of-freedom Hamiltonian system in the neighbourhood of its stable equilibrium position are considered. It is assumed that the Hamilton function is sign-definite in the neighbourhood of the equilibrium position and that the values of the frequencies of its linear oscillations are equal or close to one another (1:1 resonance). The investigation is carried out using the example of the problem of the motion of a dynamically symmetrical rigid body (satellite) about its centre of mass in a circular orbit in a central Newtonian gravitational field. In this problem there is relative equilibrium of the rigid body in the orbital system of coordinates, for which its axis of dynamic symmetry is directed along the velocity vector of the centre of mass. Resonance occurs when the ratio of the polar and equatorial principal central moments of inertia is equal to 4/3 or is close to it. The problem of the existence, bifurcation and orbital stability of the periodic motions of a rigid body generated from its relative equilibrium is solved. Some aspects of the existence of quasiperiodic motions are also considered.     

Non-linear oscillations of a Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom with 2:1 resonance

The motions of an autonomous Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom close to an equilibrium position, stable in the linear approximation, are considered. It is assumed that in this neighbourhood the quadratic part of the Hamiltonian of the system is sign-variable, and the ratio of the frequencies of the linear oscillations are close to or equal to two. It is also assumed that the corresponding resonance terms in the third-degree terms of the Hamiltonian are small. The problem of the existence, bifurcations and orbital stability of the periodic motions of the system near the equilibrium position is solved. Conditionally periodic motions of the system are investigated. An estimate is obtained of the region in which the motions of the system are bounded in the neighbourhood of an unstable equilibrium in the case of exact resonance. The motions of a heavy dynamically symmetrical rigid body with a fixed point in the neighbourhood of its permanent rotations around the vertical for 2:1 resonance are considered as an application.     

The motion of a body with a plane of symmetry over a three-dimensional sphere under the action of a spherical analogue of Newtonian gravitation

The problem of the motion of a rigid body possessing a plane of symmetry over the surface of a three-dimensional sphere under the action of a spherical analogue of Newtonian gravitation forces is considered. Approaches to introducing spherical analogues of the concepts of centre of mass and centre of gravity are discussed. The spherical analogue of “satellite approach” in the problem of the motion of a rigid body in a central field, which arises on the assumption that the dimensions of the body are small compared with the distance to the gravitating centre, is studied. Within the framework of satellite approach, assuming plane motion of the body, the question of the existence and stability of steady motions is investigated. A spherical analogue of the equation of the plane oscillations of a body in an elliptic orbit is derived.     

Chelomei's problem of the stabilization of a statically unstable rod by means of a vibration

Chelomei's problem of the stabilization of an elastic, statically unstable rod by means of a vibration is considered. Formulae for the upper and lower critical frequencies for the stabilization of the rod are obtained and analysed. It is shown that, unlike the high-frequency stabilization of an inverted pendulum with a vibrating suspension point, a rod is stabilized by frequencies of a periodic force of the order of the fundamental frequency of the transverse oscillations of the uncompressed rod lying in a certain range.     

Bi-harmonically excited pendulum: shifted resonances and quenching the low frequency excitation

The effect of the harmonic high-frequency vibration of the suspension point on a mathematical pendulum is well known [1]. It can be described as stiffening/softening or stabilization/destabilization of the up-pointing and down-pointing equilibriums for pure vertical or pure horizontal excitation. If the excitation is tilted the effect of biasing appears in addition [2]. The effects of bi-harmonic excitation are more complex. Two of them are discussed in the recent paper. The first one occurs if one of the excitation frequencies is high and another one is low. Then the so called shifted or conjugated resonances can be observed [3]. The second one takes place if the two excitation frequencies are high but their difference is small (slowly modulated high-frequency excitation according to [4]). It is shown that in that case it is possible to choose the bi-harmonic excitation in order to quench the resonance of the pendulum without changing its basic frequency. The analysis is fulfilled both for the external and parametric excitations. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The stability of an inverted pendulum when there are rapid random oscillations of the suspension point

The stability of the upper equilibrium position of a pendulum when the suspension point makes rapid random oscillations of small amplitude, is investigated. A class of random oscillations that make the system stable with unit probability for small friction is indicated. It is shown that, if there is no friction, there is no stability, which, as is well known, is not the case for harmonic oscillations of the suspension point. Some general results concerning the impossibility of stochastic stabilization of Hamiltonian systems are proved.