Resonant non-linear normal modes. Part I: analytical treatment for structural one-dimensional systems

Approximations of the resonant non-linear normal modes of a general class of weakly non-linear one-dimensional continuous systems with quadratic and cubic geometric non-linearities are constructed for the cases of two-to-one, one-to-one, and three-to-one internal resonances. Two analytical approaches are employed: the full-basis Galerkin discretization approach and the direct treatment, both based on use of the method of multiple scales as reduction technique. The procedures yield the uniform expansions of the displacement field and the normal forms governing the slow modulations of the amplitudes and phases of the modes. The non-linear interaction coefficients appearing in the normal forms are obtained in the form of infinite series with the discretization approach or as modal projections of second-order spatial functions with the direct approach. A systematic discussion on the existence and stability of coupled/uncoupled non-linear normal modes is presented. Closed-form conditions for non-linear orthogonality of the modes, in a global and local sense, are discussed. A mechanical interpretation of these conditions in terms of virtual works is also provided.     

On utilizing delayed feedback for active-multimode vibration control of cantilever beams

We present a single-input single-output multimode delayed-feedback control methodology to mitigate the free vibrations of a flexible cantilever beam. For the purpose of controller design and stability analysis, we consider a reduced-order model consisting of the first n vibration modes. The temporal variation of these modes is represented by a set of nonlinearly coupled ordinary-differential equations that capture the evolving dynamics of the beam. Considering a linearized version of these equations, we derive a set of analytical conditions that are solved numerically to assess the stability of the closed-loop system. To verify these conditions, we characterize the stability boundaries using the first two vibration modes and compare them to damping contours obtained by long-time integration of the full nonlinear equations of motion. Simulations show excellent agreement between both approaches. We analyze the effect of the size and location of the piezoelectric patch and the location of the sensor on the stability of the response. We show that the stability boundaries are highly dependent on these parameters. Finally, we implement the controller on a cantilever beam for different controller gain-delay combinations and assess the performance using time histories of the beam response. Numerical simulations clearly demonstrate the controller ability to mitigate vibrations emanating from multiple modes simultaneously.     

High-efficiency metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors on heteroepitaxially grown Ge on Si

We demonstrate extremely efficient germanium-on-silicon metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors with responsivities (R) as high as 0.85 A/W at 1.55 microm and 2V reverse bias. Ge was directly grown on Si by using a novel heteroepitaxial growth technique, which uses multisteps of growth and hydrogen annealing to reduce surface roughness and threading dislocations that form due to the 4.2% lattice mismatch. Photodiodes on such layers exhibit reverse dark currents of 100 mA/cm2 and external quantum efficiency up to 68%. This technology is promising to realize monolithically integrated optoelectronics.     

Reduced-Order Models of Weakly Nonlinear Spatially Continuous Systems

Methods for the study of weakly nonlinear continuous (distributed-parameter) systems are discussed. Approximate solution procedures based on reduced-order models via the Galerkin method are contrasted with direct application of the method of multiple scales to the governing partial-differential equations and boundary conditions. By means of several examples and an experiment, Nayfeh and co-worker had shown that reduced-order models of nonlinear continuous systems obtained via the Galerkin procedure can lead to erroneous results. A method is developed for producing reduced-order models that overcomes the shortcomings of the Galerkin procedure. Treatment of these models yields results in agreement with those obtained experimentally and those obtained by directly attacking the continuous system.     

An adaptive quenching algorithm for a nonlinear single-degree-of-freedom system

An indirect adaptive quenching algorithm for a nonlinear single-degree-of-freedom system with unknown constant system parameters is presented. The system is subject to external or parametric sinusoidal disturbances and the resulting control signal is also sinusoidal. The quenching algorithm provides a reduction in the control effort required compared to direct disturbance cancellation. The disturbance sinusoid and the unknown parameters are incorporated into the system model and an extended Kalman filter (EKF) with modified update equations is used to estimate the system state and parameters. The estimates are then used to form the quenching signal. The adaptive quenching algorithm is found to work well inside a quenching region defined by the separatrices and suggests the use of a hybrid control law. The algorithm was verified by implementing it on an analog computer.     

A Theoretical and Experimental Implementation of a Control Method Based on Saturation

A novel approach for implementing an active nonlinear vibration absorber is presented. The absorber, which is built in electronic circuitry, takes advantage of the saturation phenomenon that occurs when two natural frequencies of a system with quadratic nonlinearities are in the ratio of two-to-one. When the system is excited at a frequency near the higher natural frequency, there is a small ceiling for the system response at the higher frequency and the rest of the input energy is channeled to the low-frequency mode.A working model of using saturation to suppress the vibrations of a rigid beam connected to a DC motor has been built. An electronic oscillator is built, and its frequency is set at one-half the frequency of the beam. The output from a sensor on the beam is multiplied by the output from the electronic oscillator and a suitable gain, and the result is used as the forcing term for the oscillator. At the same time, the output from the oscillator is squared and multiplied by a suitable gain, and that result is used as the input to the motor. The oscillator/actuator and the beam act as the two modes of a two-degree-of-freedom quadratically coupled system with a 2:1 autoparametric resonance. When the beam is excited by a harmonic force, its motion quickly becomes saturated, and most of the energy imparted to the beam by the harmonic force is transferred to the electronic circuit and from there to the actuator. Thus, the harmonic force is made to work against itself. As a result, the motion of the beam always remains small.     

Modal interactions in the vibrations of a heated annular plate

We investigate the non-linear forced vibrations of a thermally loaded annular plate with clamped–clamped immovable boundary conditions in the presence of a three-to-one internal resonance between the first and second axisymmetric modes. We consider the in-plane thermal load to be axisymmetric and excite the plate externally by a harmonic force near primary resonance of the second mode. We then use the non-linear von Kármán plate equations to model the behavior of the system and apply the method of multiple scales to investigate its responses. We found that the response can be periodic oscillations consisting of both modes, with a large component from the first mode. Moreover, the periodic solutions may undergo Hopf bifurcations, which lead to aperiodic oscillations of the plate.     

Adaptive Control of Flexible Structures Using a Nonlinear Vibration Absorber

A nonlinear adaptive vibration absorber to control the vibrations offlexible structures is investigated. The absorber is based on thesaturation phenomenon associated with dynamical systems possessingquadratic nonlinearities and a two-to-one internal resonance. Thetechnique is implemented by coupling a second-order controller with thestructure through a sensor and an actuator. Energy is exchanged betweenthe structure and the controller and, near resonance, the structure'sresponse saturates to a small value.Experimental results are presented for the control of a rectangularplate and a cantilever beam using piezoelectric ceramics andmagnetostrictive alloys as actuators. The control technique isimplemented using a digital signal processing board and a modelingsoftware. The control strategy is made adaptive by incorporating anefficient frequency-measurement technique. This is validated bysuccessfully testing the control strategy for a nonconventionalproblem, where nonlinear effects hinder the application of thenonadaptive controller.     

A unified nonlinear formulation for plate and shell theories

A general geometrically exact nonlinear theory for the dynamics of laminated plates and shells under-going large-rotation and small-strain vibrations in three-dimensional space is presented. The theory fully accounts for geometric nonlinearities by using the new concepts of local displacements and local engineering stress and strain measures, a new interpretation and manipulation of the virtual local rotations, an exact coordinate transformation, and the extended Hamilton principle. Moreover, the model accounts for shear coupling effects, continuity of interlaminar shear stresses, free shear-stress conditions on the bonding surfaces, and extensionality. Because the only differences among different plates and shells are the initial curvatures of the coordinates used in the modeling and all possible initial curvatures are included in the formulation, the theory is valid for any plate or shell geometry and contains most of the existing nonlinear and shear-deformable plate and shell theories as special cases. Five fully nonlinear partial-differential equations and corresponding boundary and corner conditions are obtained, which describe the extension-extension-bending-shear-shear vibrations of general laminated two-dimensional structures and display linear elastic and nonlinear geometric coupling among all motions. Moreover, the energy and Newtonian formulations are completely correlated in the theory.