Three-dimensional nonlinear vibrations of composite beams — III. Chordwise excitations

Three nonlinear integro-differential equations of motion derived in Part I are used to investigate the forced nonlinear vibration of a symmetrically laminated graphite-epoxy composite beam. The analysis focuses on the case of primary resonance of the first in-plane flexural (chordwise) mode when its frequency is approximately twice the frequency of the first out-of-plane flexural-torsional (flapwise-torsional) mode. A combination of the fundamental-matrix method and the method of multiple scales is used to derive four first-order ordinary-differential equations describing the modulation of the amplitudes and phases of the interacting modes with damping, nonlinearity, and resonances. The eigenvalues of the Jacobian matrix of the modulation equations are used to determine the stability of their constant solutions, and Floquet theory is used to determine the stability and bifurcations of their limit-cycle solutions. Hopf bifurcations, symmetry-breaking bifurcations, period-multiplying sequences, and chaotic motions of the modulation equations are studied. The results show that the motion can be nonplanar although the input force is planar. Nonplanar responses may be periodic, periodically modulated, or chaotically modulated motions.     

Chaos and instability in a power system — Primary resonant case

We investigate some of the instabilities in a single-machine quasi-infinite busbar system. The system's behavior is described by the so-called swing equation, which is a nonlinear second-order ordinary-differential equation with additive and multiplicative harmonic terms having the frequency . When ₀, where ₀ is the linear natural frequency of the machine, we use digital-computer simulations to exhibit some of the complicated responses of the machine, including period-doubling bifurcations, chaotic motions, and unbounded motions (loss of synchronism). To predict the onset of these complicated behaviors, we use the method of multiple scales to develop an approximate first-order closed-form expression for the period-one responses of the machine. Then, we use various techniques to determine the stability of the analytical solutions. The analytically predicted period-one solutions and conditions for its instability are in good agreement with the digital-computer results.     

A nonlinear composite beam theory

Presented here is a general theory for the three-dimensional nonlinear dynamics of elastic anisotropic initially straight beams undergoing moderate displacements and rotations. The theory fully accounts for geometric nonlinearities (large rotations and displacements) by using local stress and strain measures and an exact coordinate transformation, which result in nonlinear curvature and strain-displacement expressions that contain the von Karman strains as a special case. Extensionality is included in the formulation, and transverse shear deformations are accounted for by using a third-order theory. Six third-order nonlinear partial-differential equations are derived for describing one extension, two bending, one torsion, and two shearing vibrations of composite beams. They show that laminated beams display linear elastic and nonlinear geometric couplings among all motions. The theory contains, as special cases, the Euler-Bernoulli theory, Timoshenko's beam theory, the third-order shear theory, and the von Karman type nonlinear theory.     

Nonlinear Responses of Buckled Beams to Subharmonic-Resonance Excitations

We investigated theoretically and experimentally the nonlinear responseof a clamped-clamped buckled beam to a subharmonic resonance of orderone-half of its first vibration mode. We used a multi-mode Galerkindiscretization to reduce the governing nonlinear partial-differentialequation in space and time into a set of nonlinearly coupledordinary-differential equations in time only. We solved the discretizedequations using the method of multiple scales to obtain a second-orderapproximate solution, including the modulation equations governing itsamplitude and phase, the effective nonlinearity, and the effectiveforcing. To investigate the large-amplitude dynamics, we numericallyintegrated the discretized equations using a shooting method to computeperiodic orbits and used Floquet theory to investigate their stabilityand bifurcations. We obtained interesting dynamics, such as phase-lockedand quasiperiodic motions, resulting from a Hopf bifurcation,snapthrough motions, and a sequence of period-doubling bifurcationsleading to chaos. Some of these nonlinear phenomena, such as Hopfbifurcation, cannot be predicted using a single-mode Galerkindiscretization. We carried out an experiment and obtained results ingood qualitative agreement with the theoretical results.     

Nonlinear combination resonances in cantilever composite plates

We experimentally investigated nonlinear combination resonances in two graphite-epoxy cantilever plates having the configurations (90/30/-30/-30/30/90)_s and (-75/75/75/-75/75/-75)_s. As a first step, we compared the natural frequencies and modes shapes obtained from the finite-element and experimental-modal analyses. The largest difference in the obtained frequencies for both plates was 6%. Then, we transversely excited the plates and obtained force-response and frequency-response curves, which were used to characterize the plate dynamics. We acquired time-domain data for specific input conditions using an A/D card and used them to generate time traces, power spectra, pseudo-state portraits, and Poincaré maps. The data were obtained with an accelerometer monitoring the excitation and a laser vibrometer monitoring the plate response. We observed the external combination resonance % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXafv3ySLgzGmvETj2BSbqefm0B1jxALjhiov2D% aebbfv3ySLgzGueE0jxyaibaiGc9yrFr0xXdbba91rFfpec8Eeeu0x% Xdbba9frFj0-OqFfea0dXdd9vqaq-JfrVkFHe9pgea0dXdar-Jb9hs% 0dXdbPYxe9vr0-vr0-vqpWqaaeaabiGaciaacaqabeaadaqaaqGaaO% qaaiabfM6axjabgIKi7kabeM8a3naaBaaaleaacaaIYaaabeaakiab% gUcaRiabeM8a3naaBaaaleaacaaI3aaabeaaaaa!45C9!\[\Omega \approx \omega _2 + \omega _7 \] in the quasi-isotropic plate and the external combination resonance % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXafv3ySLgzGmvETj2BSbqefm0B1jxALjhiov2D% aebbfv3ySLgzGueE0jxyaibaiGc9yrFr0xXdbba91rFfpec8Eeeu0x% Xdbba9frFj0-OqFfea0dXdd9vqaq-JfrVkFHe9pgea0dXdar-Jb9hs% 0dXdbPYxe9vr0-vr0-vqpWqaaeaabiGaciaacaqabeaadaqaaqGaaO% qaaiabfM6axjabgIKi7kaacIcacaaIXaGaai4laiaaikdacaGGPaGa% aiikaiabeM8a3naaBaaaleaacaaIYaaabeaakiabgUcaRiabeM8a3n% aaBaaaleaacaaI1aaabeaakiaacMcaaaa!4AAD!\[\Omega \approx (1/2)(\omega _2 + \omega _5 )\] and the internal combination resonance % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXafv3ySLgzGmvETj2BSbqefm0B1jxALjhiov2D% aebbfv3ySLgzGueE0jxyaibaiGc9yrFr0xXdbba91rFfpec8Eeeu0x% Xdbba9frFj0-OqFfea0dXdd9vqaq-JfrVkFHe9pgea0dXdar-Jb9hs% 0dXdbPYxe9vr0-vr0-vqpWqaaeaabiGaciaacaqabeaadaqaaqGaaO% qaaiabfM6axjabgIKi7kabeM8a3naaBaaaleaacaaI4aaabeaakiab% gIKi7kaacIcacaaIXaGaai4laiaaikdacaGGPaGaaiikaiabeM8a3n% aaBaaaleaacaaIYaaabeaakiabgUcaRiabeM8a3naaBaaaleaacaaI% XaGaaG4maaqabaGccaGGPaaaaa!4FDC!\[\Omega \approx \omega _8 \approx (1/2)(\omega _2 + \omega _{13} )\] in the ±75 plate, where the % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXafv3ySLgzGmvETj2BSbqefm0B1jxALjhiov2D% aebbfv3ySLgzGueE0jxyaibaiGc9yrFr0xXdbba91rFfpec8Eeeu0x% Xdbba9frFj0-OqFfea0dXdd9vqaq-JfrVkFHe9pgea0dXdar-Jb9hs% 0dXdbPYxe9vr0-vr0-vqpWqaaeaabiGaciaacaqabeaadaqaaqGaaO% qaaiabeM8a3naaBaaaleaacaWGPbaabeaaaaa!3F16!\[\omega _i \] are the natural frequencies of the plate and is the excitation frequency. The results show that a low-amplitude high-frequency excitation can produce a high-amplitude low-frequency motion.     

Cyclic motions near a Hopf bifurcation of a four-dimensional system

We study motions near a Hopf bifurcation of a representative nonconservative four-dimensional autonomous system with quadratic nonlinearities. Special cases of the four-dimensional system represent the envelope equations that govern the amplitudes and phases of the modes of an internally resonant structure subjected to resonant excitations. Using the method of multiple scales, we reduce the Hopf bifurcation problem to two differential equations for the amplitude and phase of the bifurcating cyclic solutions. Constant solutions of these equations provide asymptotic expansions for the frequency and amplitude of the bifurcating limit cycle. The stability of the constant solutions determines the nature of the bifurcation (i.e., subcritical or supercritical). For different choices of the control parameter, the range of validity of the analytical approximation is ascertained using numerical simulations. The perturbation analysis and discussions are also pertinent to other autonomous systems.     

Three-mode interactions in harmonically excited systems with quadratic nonlinearities

An investigation is presented of the response of a three-degree-of-freedom system with quadratic nonlinearities and the autoparametric resonances ₃2₂ and ₂2₁ to a harmonic excitation of the third mode, where the _m are the linear natural frequencies of the system. The method of multiple scales is used to determine six first-order nonlinear ordinary differential equations that govern the time variation of the amplitudes and phases of the interacting modes. The fixed points of these equations are obtained and their stability is determined. For certain parameter values, the fixed points are found to lose stability due to Hopf bifurcations and consequently the system exhibits amplitude-and phase-modulated motions. Regions where the amplitudes and phases display periodic, quasiperiodic, and chaotic time variations and hence regions where the overall system motion is periodically, quasiperiodically, and chaotically modulated are determined. Using various numerical simulations, we investigated nonperiodic solutions of the modulation equations using the amplitudeF of the excitation as a control parameter. As the excitation amplitudeF is increased, the fixed points of the modulation equations exhibit an instability due to a Hopf bifurcation, leading to limit-cycle solutions of the modulation equations. AsF is increased further, the limit cycle undergoes a period-doubling bifurcation followed by a secondary Hopf bifurcation, resulting in either a two-period quasiperiodic or a phase-locked solution. AsF is increased further, there is a torus breakdown and the solution of the modulation equations becomes chaotic, resulting in a chaotically modulated motion of the system.     

Three-dimensional nonlinear vibrations of composite beams — I. Equations of motion

Newton's second law is used to develop the nonlinear equations describing the extensional-flexural-flexural-torsional vibrations of slewing or rotating metallic and composite beams. Three consecutive Euler angles are used to relate the deformed and undeformed states. Because the twisting-related Euler angle is not an independent Lagrangian coordinate, twisting curvature is used to define the twist angle, and the resulting equations of motion are symmetric and independent of the rotation sequence of the Euler angles. The equations of motion are valid for extensional, inextensional, uniform and nonuniform, metallic and composite beams. The equations contain structural coupling terms and quadratic and cubic nonlinearities due to curvature and inertia. Some comparisons with other derivations are made, and the characteristics of the modeling are addressed. The second part of the paper will present a nonlinear analysis of a symmetric angle-ply graphite-epoxy beam exhibiting bending-twisting coupling and a two-to-one internal resonance.     

Saturation-based actuation for flapping MAVs in hovering and forward flight

Stringent weight and size constraints on flapping-wing microair-vehicles dictate minimal actuation. Unfortunately, hovering and forward flight require different wing motions and, as such, independent actuators. Therefore, either a hovering or a forward-flight requirement should be included in the mission and design statements of a flapping-wing microair-vehicle. This work proposes a design for an actuation mechanism that would provide the required kinematics in each flight condition using only one actuator. The idea is to exploit the nonlinear dynamics of the flapping wing to induce the saturation phenomenon. One physical spring in the plunging direction is needed along with a feedback of the plunging angle into the control torque of the actuator in the back and forth flapping direction. By detuning the feedback gains away from the saturation requirement, we obtain the flapping kinematics required for hovering. In contrast, tuning the feedback gains to induce the saturation phenomenon transfers the motion into the plunging direction. Moreover, the actuating torque (in the back and forth flapping direction) would then provide a direct control over the amplitude of the plunging motion, while the amplitude of the actuated flapping motion saturates and does not change as the amplitude of the actuating torque increases.