Study of nonlinear system stability using eigenvalue analysis: Gyroscopic motion

General computational multibody system (MBS) algorithms allow for the linearization of the highly nonlinear equations of motion at different points in time in order to obtain the eigenvalue solution. This eigenvalue solution of the linearized equations is often used to shed light on the system stability at different configurations that correspond to different time points. Different MBS algorithms, however, employ different sets of orientation coordinates, such as Euler angles and Euler parameters, which lead to different forms of the dynamic equations of motion. As a consequence, the forms of the linearized equations and the eigenvalue solution obtained strongly depend on the set of orientation coordinates used. This paper addresses this fundamental issue by examining the effect of the use of different orientation parameters on the linearized equations of a gyroscope. The nonlinear equations of motion of the gyroscope are formulated using two different sets of orientation parameters: Euler angles and Euler parameters. In order to obtain a set of linearized equations that can be used to define the eigenvalue solution, the algebraic equations that describe the MBS constraints are systematically eliminated leading to a nonlinear form of the equations of motion expressed in terms of the system degrees of freedom. Because in MBS applications the generalized forces can be highly nonlinear and can depend on the velocities, a state space formulation is used to solve the eigenvalue problem. It is shown in this paper that the independent state equations formulated using Euler angles and Euler parameters lead to different eigenvalue solutions. This solution is also different from the solution obtained using a form of the Newton-Euler matrix equation expressed in terms of the angular accelerations and angular velocities. A time-domain solution of the linearized equations is also presented in order to compare between the solutions obtained using two different sets of orientation parameters and also to shed light on the important issue of using the eigenvalue analysis in the study of MBS stability. The validity of using the eigenvalue analysis based on the linearization of the nonlinear equations of motion in the study of the stability of railroad vehicle systems, which have known critical speeds, is examined. It is shown that such an eigenvalue analysis can lead to wrong conclusions regarding the stability of nonlinear systems.     

非线性欧拉方程组的完美匹配层吸收边界条件

对于非线性Euler方程,提出一类基于完美匹配层(PML)技术的吸收边界条件。首先对线性化的Euler方程设计出PML公式,然后将线性化Euler方程中的通量函数替换成相对应的非线性通量函数,得到非线性的PML方程。考虑到PML方程中包含有一个刚性的源项,文中采用一种隐显Runge-Kutta方法来求解空间半离散后得到的ODE系统。数值实验表明设计的非线性PML吸收边界条件优于传统的特征边界条件。     

An alternative approach for the analysis of nonlinear vibrations of pipes conveying fluid

Based on a novel extended version of the Lagrange equations for systems containing non-material volumes, the nonlinear equations of motion for cantilever pipe systems conveying fluid are deduced. An alternative to existing methods utilizing Newtonian balance equations or Hamilton's principle is thus provided. The application of the extended Lagrange equations in combination with a Ritz method directly results in a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations of motion, as opposed to the methods of derivation previously published, which result in partial differential equations. The pipe is modeled as a Euler elastica, where large deflections are considered without order-of-magnitude assumptions. For the equations of motion, a dimensional reduction with arbitrary order of approximation is introduced afterwards and compared with existing lower-order formulations from the literature. The effects of nonlinearities in the equations of motion are studied numerically. The numerical solutions of the extended Lagrange equations of the cantilever pipe system are compared with a second approach based on discrete masses and modeled in the framework of the multibody software HOTINT/MBS. Instability phenomena for an increasing number of discrete masses are presented and convergence towards the solution for pipes conveying fluid is shown.     

Absorbing boundary conditions for nonlinear Euler and Navier–Stokes equations based on the perfectly matched layer technique

Absorbing boundary conditions for the nonlinear Euler and Navier–Stokes equations in three space dimensions are presented based on the perfectly matched layer (PML) technique. The derivation of equations follows a three-step method recently developed for the PML of linearized Euler equations. To increase the efficiency of the PML, a pseudo mean flow is introduced in the formulation of absorption equations. The proposed PML equations will absorb exponentially the difference between the nonlinear fluctuation and the prescribed pseudo mean flow. With the nonlinearity in flux vectors, the proposed nonlinear absorbing equations are not formally perfectly matched to the governing equations as their linear counter-parts are. However, numerical examples show satisfactory results. Furthermore, the nonlinear PML reduces automatically to the linear PML upon linearization about the pseudo mean flow. The validity and efficiency of proposed equations as absorbing boundary conditions for nonlinear Euler and Navier–Stokes equations are demonstrated by numerical examples.     

Large-amplitude nonlinear vibrations of a Mooney–Rivlin rectangular membrane

An analysis of the linear and nonlinear vibration response and stability of a pre-stretched hyperelastic rectangular membrane under harmonic lateral pressure and finite initial deformations is presented in this paper. Geometric nonlinearity due to finite deformations and material nonlinearity associated with the hyperelastic constitutive law are taken into account. The membrane is assumed to be made of an isotropic, homogeneous, and incompressible Mooney–Rivlin material. The results for a neo-Hookean material are obtained as a particular case and a comparison of these two constitutive models is carried out. First, the exact solution of the membrane under a biaxial stretch is obtained, being this initial stress state responsible for the membrane stiffness. The equations of motion of the pre-stretched membrane are then derived. From the linearized equations, the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the membrane are analytically obtained for both materials. The natural modes are then used to approximate the nonlinear deformation field using the Galerkin method. A detailed parametric analysis shows the strong influence of the stretching ratios and material parameters on the linear and nonlinear oscillations of the membrane. Frequency–amplitude relations, resonance curves, and bifurcation diagrams, are used to illustrate the nonlinear dynamics of the membrane. The present results are compared favorably with the results evaluated for the same membrane using a nonlinear finite element formulation.     

Three-dimensional modelling and dynamic analysis of an automatic ball balancer in an optical disk drive

Dynamic behaviours and stability of an automatic ball balancer (ABB) in an optical disk drive are analyzed based on the proposed three-dimensional dynamic model. For dynamic analysis, the feeding deck with the ball balancer and a spindle motor is modelled as a rigid body with six degrees of freedom. The nonlinear equations of motion are derived using Lagrange's equation in order to describe the translational and rotational motions of the system. From the derived nonlinear equations, the linearized equations of motion in the neighbourhood of a balanced equilibrium position are obtained by the perturbation method. These equations are coupled, linear, differential equations with time-dependent periodic coefficients, from which the stability of the system is analyzed by using the Floquet theory. Finally, the time responses are computed to verify the results of the stability analysis, and to investigate the balancing performance of the ABB.     

Modified perturbation method for eigenvalues of structure with interval parameters

In overcoming the drawbacks of traditional interval perturbation method due to the unpredictable effect of ignoring higher order terms,a modified parameter perturbation method is presented to predict the eigenvalue intervals of the uncertain structures with interval parameters.In the proposed method,interval variables are used to quantitatively describe all the uncertain parameters.Different order perturbations in both eigenvalues and eigenvectors are fully considered.By retaining higher order terms,the original dynamic eigenvalue equations are transformed into interval linear equations based on the orthogonality and regularization conditions of eigenvectors.The eigenvalue ranges and corresponding eigenvectors can be approximately predicted by the parameter combinatorial approach.Compared with the Monte Carlo method,two numerical examples are given to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed algorithm to solve both the real eigenvalue problem and complex eigenvalue problem.     

Study on eigenvalue space of hyperchaotic canonical four-dimensional Chua’s circuit

The eigenvalue space of the canonical four-dimensional Chua's circuit which can realize every eigenvalue for four-dimensional system is studied in this paper. First, the analytical relations between the circuit parameters and the eigenvalues of the system are established, and therefore all the circuit parameters can be determined explicitly by any given set of eigenvalues. Then, the eigenvalue space of the circuit is investigated in two cases by the nonlinear elements used. According to the types of the eigenvalues, some novel hyperchaotic attractors are presented. Further, the dynamic behaviours of the circuit are studied by the bifurcation diagrams and the Lyapunov spectra of the eigenvalues.     

Viscoelastic analysis of multi-body systems using the finite element method

A study of the effect of viscoelastic material damping on the dynamic response of multibody systems, consisting of interconnected rigid, elastic and viscoelastic components, is presented. The motion of each elastic or viscoelastic body is identified by using three sets of modes: rigid body, reference and normal modes. Rigid body modes describe translation and large angular rotation of a body reference. Reference modes are the result of imposing the body-axis conditions. Normal modes define the deformation of the body relative to the body reference. Constraints between different components are formulated by using a set of non-linear algebraic equations that can be introduced to the dynamic formulation by using a Lagrange multiplier technique or can be utilized to eliminate dependent co-ordinates by partitioning the constraint Jacobian matrix. In developing the system equations of motion of the viscoelastic component, an assumption of a linear viscoelastic model is made. A Kelvin-Voigt model is employed, wherein the stress is assumed to be proportional to the strain and its time derivative. The formulation yields a constant damping matrix and the damping forces depend only on the local deformation; thus, no additional coupling between the reference and elastic co-ordinates appears in the formulation when considering the viscoelastic effects. It is demonstrated, by a numerical example, that the viscoelastic material damping can have a significant effect on the dynamic response of multibody systems.     

Kernel of the classicalZitterbewegung

Barut's classicalzitterbewegung model includes the internal dynamical variables and the quantization of this system gives a general transition amplitude between the different space-time points and internal coordinates and momentum. It includes the transition amplitude between the half integer and integer spin eigenvalues. Spin eigenfunctions lead to all sets of relativistic wave equations, as well as the Dirac equation.     

Structural-acoustic coupling effect on the nonlinear natural frequency of a rectangular box with one flexible plate

The nonlinear natural frequency of a rectangular box, which consists of one flexible plate and five rigid plates, is studied in this paper. The flexible plate is assumed to vibrate like a simple piston. The behavior of the structural-acoustic coupling between the flexible plate and the air cavity is analyzed by using the proposed finite element modal method. The system finite element equation is reduced and expressed in terms of the modal coordinates with small degrees of freedom by using the proposed reduction method. The system nonlinear stiffness matrix representing the large amplitude vibration can be transformed to be a constant modal matrix. The natural frequencies are determined by using the harmonic balance method to solve the eigenvalue equations of the structural-acoustic system. The effect of the cavity depth on the natural frequencies and convergence studies are discussed in detail.     

Dynamics of an array formed by three neutrally buoyant cylindrical cantilevers subjected to tensile follower forces

The flexural-rotational coupled motion of three identical flexible cylindrical cantilevers joined symmetrically to a central head is investigated. Effects of the tensile follower forces and inertia parameters on the natural frequencies of the system are studied. The analysis suggests two types of inplane motion: one corresponding to the oscillation of the cantilevers without any rotation of the central body, while the other involves coupled motion of the array. The former corresponds to the repeated eigenvalues which are identical to those of a single cantilever having the same axial tension parameter, P. Three sets of eigenvalues govern the out-of-plane motion: (a) the central head remaining stationary with no rolling motion of the array; (b) vertical motion of the central body without any rolling motion of the array; and (c) rigid body rolling motion without any vertical motion of the central head. There is a possibility of dynamic instability for small inertia parameters and large axial tension.     

Dynamics Near an Unstable Kirchhoff Ellipse

We describe the dynamics of the Kirchhoff ellipse by formulating a nonlinear equation for the boundary of a perturbed vortex patch in elliptical coordinates. We demonstrate that in the regime for which the linearized equation of motion is unstable, the nonlinear dynamics of a rather general initial perturbation of the Kirchhoff ellipse are determined by the fastest growing mode for the corresponding linearized equation, on a time scale when the nonlinear instability occurs. In particular, we resolve a question suggested by Loves results and prove that such elliptical patches are indeed unstable in the full nonlinear sense.     

Exact dynamic and static stiffness matrices of shear deformable thin-walled beam-columns

Total potential energy of non-symmetric thin-walled beam-columns in the general form is presented by introducing the displacement field based on semitangential rotations and deriving transformation equations between displacement and force parameters defined at the arbitrary axis and the centroid-shear center axis, respectively. Next, governing equations and force-deformation relations are derived from the total potential energy for a shear-deformable, uniform beam element and a system of linear eigenproblem with non-symmetric matrices is constructed based on 14 displacement parameters. And then explicit expressions for displacement parameters are derived and exact dynamic stiffness matrices are determined using force-deformatin relationships. In addition, the modified numerical method to eliminate multiple zero eigenvalues and to evaluate the exact static stiffness matrix is developed for spatial stability analysis. Finally, in order to demonstrate the validity and the accuracy of this study, the spatially coupled natural frequencies and buckling loads are evaluated and compared with analytical solutions or results analyzed by thin-walled beam elements and ABAQUS's shell elements.     

Stability switching at transcritical bifurcations of solitary waves in generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equations

Linear stability of solitary waves near transcritical bifurcations is analyzed for the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equations with arbitrary forms of nonlinearity and external potentials in arbitrary spatial dimensions. Bifurcation of linear-stability eigenvalues associated with this transcritical bifurcation is analytically calculated. Based on this eigenvalue bifurcation, it is shown that both solution branches undergo stability switching at the transcritical bifurcation point. In addition, the two solution branches have opposite linear stability. These analytical results are compared with the numerical results, and good agreement is obtained.     

A linear relationship exists among brain diffusion eigenvalues measured by diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging

Diffusion in biological tissues can be measured by magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging The complex nature of anisotropic diffusion in the brain has been described by a diffusion tensor which contains information about the magnitude of diffusion in different directions. Each tensor contains a set of three eigenvalues which are related to the major, intermediate, and minor axes of a diffusion ellipsoid. This investigation demonstrates that the various sets of diffusion eigenvalues from different regions of the brain lie along a line in ordered eigenvalue space. Sets of ordered diffusion eigenvalues were considered points in ordered eigenvalue space. The line which best fit the data by minimizing the total squared deviations was determined. A new coordinate system was constructed through translation and rotation which spanned ordered eigenvalue space. Eigenvalues from both monkey brain and human brain were studied. It was found that the sets of eigenvalues from both species have significant linear trends. Moreover, the same line may describe the brain eigenvalues from both species. It is likely that this linear relationship of the eigenvalues observed in an ordered eigenvalue plot is related to a combination of (1) conservation of total isotropic diffusion and (2) the degree of orientational dispersion of the microfibers within each voxel.     

Effective one-dimensional equation of motion for nuclear fission

An approach for describing the dynamics of nuclear fission in the framework of generalized quantum mechanics is discussed. The collective kinetic energy is assumed to be two dimensional, and the reduced mass is allowed to vary with the coordinates. The generalized calculus of variation is employed for minimizing the action after being properly quantized as required by Hamilton's principle, employing a curvilinear coordinate system. The corresponding Euler Lagrange equation is identified as the required generalized equation of motion. The proposed generalized two-dimensional equation of motion is separated into a vibrational eigenvalue equation and a set of coupled-channel one-dimensional equations which describe the translational motion, by exploiting the completeness of the vibrational eigenfunctions. Such a system of coupled equations can be decoupled by replacing the coupling matrix elements by a nonlocal interaction, which can be rendered local after employing the effective mass approximation. As a consequence this differential equation is provided with an effective mass, an effective potential barrier, and a differential boundary term which is responsible for restoring the self-adjointness of the kinetic energy differential operator.     

Stable Directions for Small Nonlinear Dirac Standing Waves

We prove that for a Dirac operator, with no resonance at thresholds nor eigenvalue at thresholds, the propagator satisfies propagation and dispersive estimates. When this linear operator has only two simple eigenvalues sufficiently close to each other, we study an associated class of nonlinear Dirac equations which have stationary solutions. As an application of our decay estimates, we show that these solutions have stable directions which are tangent to the subspaces associated with the continuous spectrum of the Dirac operator. This result is the analogue, in the Dirac case, of a theorem by Tsai and Yau about the Schrödinger equation. To our knowledge, the present work is the first mathematical study of the stability problem for a nonlinear Dirac equation     

Conjugate Gradient method for finding fundamental solitary waves

The Conjugate Gradient method (CGM) is known to be the fastest generic iterative method for solving linear systems with symmetric sign definite matrices. In this paper, we modify this method so that it can find fundamental solitary waves of nonlinear Hamiltonian equations. The main obstacle that such a modified CGM overcomes is that the operator of the equation linearized about a solitary wave is not sign definite. Instead, it has a finite number of eigenvalues on the opposite side of zero than the rest of its spectrum. We present versions of the modified CGM that can find solitary waves with prescribed values of either the propagation constant or power. We also extend these methods to handle multi-component nonlinear wave equations. Convergence conditions of the proposed methods are given, and their practical implications are discussed. We demonstrate that our modified CGMs converge much faster than, say, Petviashvili’s or similar methods, especially when the latter converge slowly.