An investigation into the significance of the non-linear terms in the equations of motion for a cantilevered beam

Non-linear beam models can provide accurate and efficient results and are therefore used frequently in the structural dynamic analysis of large-aspect-ratio cantilevered structures. Using a beam model is especially beneficial in aeroelastic applications, which are computationally expensive.This paper investigates the significance of each of the non-linear terms in a third-order non-linear beam model and shows the importance of retaining terms up to the third order. The approach presented in this paper provides an effective method to simplify the non-linear equations of motion by including the most significant non-linear terms. The resulting equations preserve the fidelity of the original equations and are easier to manipulate.     

A new method for the non-linear deflection analysis of an infinite beam resting on a non-linear elastic foundation

The aim of this paper is to develop a new method of analyzing the non-linear deflection behavior of an infinite beam on a non-linear elastic foundation. Non-linear beam problems have traditionally been dealt with by semi-analytical approaches that involve small perturbations or by numerical methods, such as the non-linear finite element method. In this paper, in contrast, a transformed non-linear integral equation that governs non-linear beam deflection behavior is formulated to develop a new method for non-linear solutions. The proposed method requires an iteration to solve non-linear problems, but is fairly simple and straightforward to apply. It also converges quickly, whereas traditional non-linear solution procedures are generally quite complex in application. Mathematical analysis of the proposed method is performed. In addition, illustrative examples are presented to demonstrate the validity of the method developed in the present study.     

Large-deflection and postbuckling of beam-columns with non-linear semi-rigid connections including shear and axial effects

The non-linear large deflection-small strain analysis and post-buckling behavior of an out-of-plumb Timoshenko beam-column of symmetrical cross section subjected to end loads (forces and moments) with non-linear bending connections at both ends, and its top end partially restrained against transverse and longitudinal translations are developed in a classical manner. A set of non-linear equations based on the “modified shear equation” that includes the effects of (1) shear deformation and the shear component of the applied axial forces; and (2) shortening of the beam-column due to both axial forces and “bowing” are presented. The proposed method and corresponding equations can be used in the large deflection-small strain analysis of Timoshenko beam-columns with non-linear bending connections, as well as lateral and longitudinal non-linear restraints at the top end. This paper is an extension of previous work presented by the senior author on the large deflection and post-buckling behavior of Timoshenko beam-columns with linear elastic semi-rigid connections and linear elastic lateral bracing. Three comprehensive examples are included that show the effectiveness of the proposed method and corresponding equations. Results obtained in the three examples are verified against analytical solutions available in the technical literature and against results from models using the FEM program ABAQUS.     

Non-linear longitudinal vibrations of non-slender piezoceramic rods

Characteristic non-linear effects can be observed, when piezoceramics are excited using weak electric fields. In experiments with longitudinal vibrations of piezoceramic rods, the behavior of a softening Duffing-oscillator including jump phenomena and multiple stable amplitude responses at the same excitation frequency and voltage is observed. Another phenomenon is the decrease of normalized amplitude responses with increasing excitation voltages. For such small stresses and weak electric fields as applied in the experiments, piezoceramics are usually described by linear constitutive equations around an operating point in the butterfly hysteresis curve. The non-linear effects under consideration were, e.g. observed and described by Beige and Schmidt [1,2], who investigated longitudinal plate vibrations using the piezoelectric 31-effect. They modeled these non-linearities using higher order quadratic and cubic elastic and electric terms. Typical non-linear effects, e.g. dependence of the resonance frequency on the amplitude, superharmonics in spectra and a non-linear relation between excitation voltage and vibration amplitude were also observed e.g. by von Wagner et al. [3] in piezo-beam systems. In the present paper, the work is extended to longitudinal vibrations of non-slender piezoceramic rods using the piezoelectric 33-effect. The non-linearities are modeled using an extended electric enthalpy density including non-linear quadratic and cubic elastic terms, coupling terms and electric terms. The equations of motion for the system under consideration are derived via the Ritz method using Hamilton's principle. An extended kinetic energy taking into consideration the transverse velocity is used to model the non-slender rods. The equations of motion are solved using perturbation techniques. In a second step, additional dissipative linear and non-linear terms are used in the model. The non-linear effects described in this paper may have strong influence on the relation between excitation voltage and response amplitude whenever piezoceramic actuators and structures are excited at resonance.     

A non-linear model for the dynamics of open cross-section thin-walled beams—Part II: forced motion

The discrete equations developed in Part I are here used to analyze the non-linear dynamics of an inextensional shear indeformable beam with given end constraints. The model takes into account the non-linear effects of warping and of torsional elongation. Non-linear 3D oscillations of a beam with a cross-section having one symmetry axis is examined. Only terms of higher magnitude are retained in the equations, which exhibit quadratic, cubic and combination resonances. A harmonic load acting in the direction of the symmetry axis and in resonance with the corresponding natural frequency, is considered. Steady-state solutions and their stability are studied; in particular the effects of non-linear warping and of torsional elongation on the response are highlighted.     

Large free vibrations of a beam carrying a moving mass

The focus of this work is to develop a technique to obtain numerical solution over a long range of time for non-linear multi-body dynamic systems undergoing large amplitude motion. The system considered is an idealization of an important class of problems characterized by non-linear interaction between continuously distributed mass and stiffness and lumped mass and stiffness. This characteristic results in some distinctive features in the system response and also poses significant challenges in obtaining a solution.

In this paper, equations of motion are developed for large amplitude motion of a beam carrying a moving spring–mass. The equations of motion are solved using a new approach that uses average acceleration method to reduce non-linear ordinary differential equations to non-linear algebraic equations. The resulting non-linear algebraic equations are solved using an iterative method developed in this paper. Dynamics of the system is investigated using a time-frequency analysis technique.     

Non-linear dynamic stability of damped Beck's column with variable cross-section

In this paper the non-linear dynamic stability of Beck's column with variable mass and stiffness properties in the presence of damping (both internal and external) is investigated using a complete non-linear dynamic analysis. This approach permits the examination of the global stability of the system in contrast to the static non-linear one, which, though more economical in computational cost, is associated only with the loss of local stability via flutter or divergence. The governing equations describing the dynamic response are derived in terms of the displacements taking also into account the axial deformation, which has a striking influence on the critical load. Since the cross-sectional properties of the beam vary along its axis, the resulting coupled non-linear differential equations have variable coefficients. Their solution is achieved using the analog equation method (AEM) of Katsikadelis. Besides its accuracy and effectiveness, this method overcomes the shortcoming of a FEM solution, which may experience lack of convergence. Interesting conclusions are drawn. The important, however, finding is that the inclusion of the axial deformation affects highly the critical load of Beck's column with varying cross-sectional properties, while it leaves it unaltered for Beck's column with uniform cross-section.     

Degenerate weakly non-linear elastic plane waves

Weakly non-linear plane waves are considered in hyperelastic crystals. Evolution equations are derived at a quadratically non-linear level for the amplitudes of quasi-longitudinal and quasi-transverse waves propagating in arbitrary anisotropic media. The form of the equations obtained depends upon the direction of propagation relative to the crystal axes. A single equation is found for all propagation directions for quasi-longitudinal waves, but a pair of coupled equations occurs for quasi-transverse waves propagating along directions of degeneracy, or acoustic axes. The coupled equations involve four material parameters but they simplify if the wave propagates along an axis of material symmetry. Thus, only two parameters arise for propagation along an axis of twofold symmetry, and one for a threefold axis. The transverse wave equations decouple if the axis is fourfold or higher. In the absence of a symmetry axis it is possible that the evolution equations of the quasi-transverse waves decouple if the third-order elastic moduli satisfy a certain identity. The theoretical results are illustrated with explicit examples.     

Advancements in subsea riser analysis using quasi-rotations and the Newton–Raphson method

Beam structures undergoing finite deflections and rotations in space have extensive application in the subsea industry particularly for the analysis of holistic systems with larger numbers of mooring and riser components. In using the finite element analysis approach, there is an increasing requirement for large element sizes which preserve accuracy with regard to the coupling of axial, bending and torsion response.The authors outline a method for improving the current state of practice for the analysis of riser systems. The approach draws on the convected coordinates method, Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, the principle of virtual work and the finite element method. Two quasi-rotation measures are developed including a quasi-material rotation definition for rotational deformation relative to the convected axis of a beam and a quasi-space rotation definition to deal with the path dependent nature of rotations in three dimensions.The novel aspect of this work is to relate the rate of change of the quasi-material rotation vector along the beam axis to a linear transformation of the beam axis rate-of-rotation vector through utilising the convected coordinates axes system. In this way, incremental values of quasi-material rotation are directly linked to incremental values of nodal quasi-space rotation and a global Newton–Raphson solution technique for interconnecting beam elements is straightforward to assemble.Furthermore, this leads to accurate definitions of coupled axial, bending and torque response for beams with significant deflection. The approach has particular advantages in the analysis of subsea riser sections. Also, the accuracy of the solution is preserved for a fewer number of elements compared to alternative solutions for computationally sensitive load cases with highly non-linear loading regimes.     

Three kinematic representations for modeling of highly flexible beams and their applications

Presented here are three kinematic representations of large rotations for accurate modeling of highly flexible beam-like structures undergoing arbitrarily large three-dimensional elastic deformation and/or rigid-body motion. Different methods of modeling torsional deformation result in different beam theories with different mathematical characteristics. Each of these three geometrically exact beam theories fully accounts for geometric nonlinearities and initial curvatures by using Jaumann strains, exact coordinate transformations, and orthogonal virtual rotations. The derivations are presented in detail, a finite element formulation is included, fully nonlinear governing equations and boundary conditions are presented, and the corresponding form for numerically exact analysis using multiple shooting methods is also derived. These theories are compared in terms of their appropriate application areas, possible singular problems, and easiness for use in modeling and analysis of multibody systems. Nonlinear finite element analysis of a rotating beam and nonlinear multiple shooting analysis of a torsional bar are performed to demonstrate the capability and accuracy of these beam theories.     

A spiral model for bending of non-linearly pretwisted helicoidal structures with lateral loading

The paper presents a new approach in the bending analysis of helicoidal structures with a large non-linear pretwist and an external lateral loading. It also addresses the issue as to what extent the linearized twisting curvature is applicable in the analysis of pretwisted plates. Employing a non-linear helicoidal model and a natural orthogonal coordinate system, the large non-linear pretwist is formulated and the energy stored in a distorted helicoid subjected to an external pressure normal to the helicoid axis is derived. By integrating the internal strain energy and external pressure work over the helicoidal domain, a non-homogeneous system of equations is presented and numerical solutions are obtained. Significant structural responses such as deformation components and resultant, the effects of width and thickness of helicoid on bending are analyzed and discussed. The analysis can be extended to other areas of interest such as turbomachinery blades, drilling structures, motors in micro-electro-mechanical systems and also DNA biomechanics.     

Non-linear non-planar vibrations of geometrically imperfect inextensional beams. Part II—Bifurcation analysis under base excitations

The non-linear non-planar steady-state responses of a near-square cantilevered beam (a special case of inextensional beams) with general imperfection under harmonic base excitation is investigated. By applying the combination of the multiple scales method and the Galerkin procedure to two non-linear integro-differential equations derived in part I, two modulation non-linear coupled first-order differential equations are obtained for the case of a primary resonance with a one-to-one internal resonance. The modulation equations contain linear imperfection-induced terms in addition to cubic geometric and inertial terms. Variations of the steady-state response amplitude curves with different parameters are presented. Bifurcation analyses of fixed points show that the influence of geometric imperfection on the steady-state responses can be significant to a great extent although the imperfection is small. The phenomenon of frequency island generation is also observed.     

A semi-analytical approach for the non-linear large deflection analysis of laminated rectangular plates under general out-of-plane loading

A semi-analytical approach for the geometrically non-linear analysis of rectangular laminated plates with general inplane and out-of-plane boundary conditions under a general distribution of out-of-plane loads is developed. The analysis is based on the elastic thin plate theory with geometrically non-linear von Kármán strains. The solution of the non-linear partial differential equations is reduced to an iterative sequential solution of non-linear ordinary differential equations using the multi-term extended Kantorovich method. The efficiency, accuracy, and convergence of the proposed method are examined through a comparison with other semi-analytical methods and with finite element analyses. The capabilities of the approach and its applicability to the non-linear large deflection analysis of plate structures are demonstrated through various numerical examples. Emphasis is placed on combinations of lamination, boundary, and loading conditions that cannot be analyzed using alternative semi-analytical methods.     

On the elastoplastic cyclic analysis of plane beam structures using a flexibility-based finite element approach

This paper presents the extension of a flexibility-based large increment method (LIM) for the case of cyclic loading. In the last few years, LIM has been successfully tested for solving a range of non-linear structural problems involving elastoplastic material models under monotonic loading. In these analyses, the force-based LIM algorithm provided robust solutions and significant computational savings compared to the displacement-based finite element approach by using fewer elements and integration points. Although in cyclic analysis a step-by-step solution procedure has to be adopted to account for the plastic history, LIM will still have many advantages over the traditional finite element method. Before going into the basic idea of this extension, a brief discussion regarding LIM governing equations is presented followed by the proposed solution procedure. Next, the formulation is specified for the treatment of the elastic perfectly plastic beam element. The local stage for the beam behavior is discussed in detail and the required improvement for the LIM methodology is described. Illustrative truss and beam examples are presented for different non-linear material models. The results are compared with those obtained from a standard displacement method and again highlight the potential benefits of the proposed flexibility-based approach.     

Global and bifurcation analysis of a structure with cyclic symmetry

This article combines the application of a global analysis approach and the more classical continuation, bifurcation and stability analysis approach of a cyclic symmetric system. A solid disc with four blades, linearly coupled, but with an intrinsic non-linear cubic stiffness is at stake. Dynamic equations are turned into a set of non-linear algebraic equations using the harmonic balance method. Then periodic solutions are sought using a recursive application of a global analysis method for various pulsation values. This exhibits disconnected branches in both the free undamped case (non-linear normal modes, NNMs) and in a forced case which shows the link between NNMs and forced response. For each case, a full bifurcation diagram is provided and commented using tools devoted to continuation, bifurcation and stability analysis.     

Large amplitude free flexural vibration of rings using finite element approach

Here, the large amplitude free flexural vibrations of isotropic/laminated orthotropic rings are investigated, using a shear flexible curved beam element based on field consistency principle. A laminated refined beam theory is introduced for developing the element, which satisfies the interface transverse shear stress and displacement continuity, and has a vanishing shear stress on the inner and outer surfaces of the beam. The formulation includes in-plane and rotary inertia effects, and the non-linearity due to the finite deformation of the ring. The governing equations obtained using Lagrange's equations of motion are solved through the direct integration technique. Amplitude-frequency relationships evaluated from the dynamic response history are examined. Detailed numerical results are presented considering various parameters such as radius-to-thickness ratio, circumferential wave number and ovality for isotropic and laminated orthotropic rings. The nature and degree of the participation of various modes in non-linear asymmetric vibration of oval ring brought out through the present study are useful for accurate modelling of the closed non-circular structures.     

Whirling of a forced cantilevered beam with static deflection. II: Superharmonic and subharmonic resonances

Secondary resonances of a slender, elastic, cantilevered beam subjected to a transverse harmonic load are investigated. The effects of nonlinear curvature, nonlinear inertia, viscous damping and static load are included. Cubic terms in the governing equations lead to subharmonic and superharmonic resonances of order three. The static displacement produced by the weight of the beam introduces quadratic terms in the governing equations, which cause subharmonic and superharmonic resonances of order two. Out-of-plane motion is possible in all of these secondary resonances when the principal moments of inertia of the beam cross section are approximately equal.     

An aeroelastic model for composite rotor blades with straight and swept tips. Part I: Aeroelastic stability in hover

An analytical model for predicting the aeroelastic behavior of composite rotor blades with straight and swept tips is presented. The blade is modeled by beam type finite elements along the elastic axis. A single finite element is used to model the swept tip. The non-linear equations of motion for the finite element model are derived using Hamilton's principle and based on a moderate deflection theory and accounts for: arbitrary cross-sectional shape, pretwist, generally anisotropic material behavior, transverse shears and out-of-plane warping. Numerical results illustrating the effects of tip sweep, anhedral and composite ply orientation on blade aeroelastic behavior are presented. It is shown that composite ply orientation has a substantial effect on blade stability. At low thrust conditions, certain ply orientations can cause instability in the lag mode. The flap-torsion coupling associated with tip sweep can also induce aeroelastic instability in the blade. This instability can be removed by appropriate ply orientation in the composite construction.     

Non-linear elastic non-uniform torsion of bars of arbitrary cross-section by BEM

In this paper an elastic non-uniform torsion analysis of simply or multiply connected cylindrical bars of arbitrary cross-section taking into account the effect of geometric non-linearity is presented employing the boundary-element(BE) method. The torque-rotation relationship is computed based on the finite-displacement (finite-rotation) theory, that is the transverse displacement components are expressed so as to be valid for large rotations and the longitudinal normal strain includes the second-order geometric non-linear term often described as the “Wagner strain”. The proposed formulation does not stand on the assumption of a thin-walled structure and therefore the cross-section's torsional rigidity is evaluated exactly without using the so-called Saint-Venant's torsional constant. The torsional rigidity of the cross-section is evaluated directly employing the primary warping function of the cross-section depending on its shape. Three boundary-value problems with respect to the variable along the beam axis angle of twist, to the primary and to the secondary warping functions are formulated. The first one, employing the Analog Equation Method (a BEM-based method), yields a system of non-linear equations from which the angle of twist is computed by an iterative process. The remaining two problems are solved employing a pure BE method. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the method and demonstrate its efficiency and accuracy. The developed procedure retains most of the advantages of a BEM solution over a pure domain discretization method, although it requires domain discretization.     

Geometrically non-linear free and forced vibrations of simply supported circular cylindrical shells: A semi-analytical approach

The non-linear free and forced vibrations of simply supported thin circular cylindrical shells are investigated using Lagrange's equations and an improved transverse displacement expansion. The purpose of this approach was to provide engineers and designers with an easy method for determining the shell non-linear mode shapes, with their corresponding amplitude dependent non-linear frequencies. The Donnell non-linear shell theory has been used and the flexural deformations at large vibration amplitudes have been taken into account. The transverse displacement expansion has been made using two terms including both the driven and the axisymmetric modes, and satisfying the simply supported boundary conditions. The non-linear dynamic variational problem obtained by applying Lagrange's equations was then transformed into a static case by adopting the harmonic balance method. Minimisation of the energy functional with respect to the basic function contribution coefficients has led to a simple non-linear multi-modal equation, the solution of which gives in the case of a single mode assumption an expression for the non-linear frequencies which is much simpler than that derived from the non-linear partial differential equation obtained previously by several authors. Quantitative results based on the present approach have been computed and compared with experimental data. The good agreement found was very satisfactory, in comparison with previous old and recent theoretical approaches, based on sophisticated numerical methods, such as the finite element method (FEM), the method of normal forms (MNF), and analytical methods, such as the perturbation method.