Bifurcations and chaos in parametrically excited single-degree-of-freedom systems

The behavior of single-degree-of-freedom systems possessing quadratic and cubic nonlinearities subject to parametric excitation is investigated. Both fundamental and principal parametric resonances are considered. A global bifurcation diagram in the excitation amplitude and excitation frequency domain is presented showing different possible stable steady-state solutions (attractors). Fractal basin maps for fundamental and principal parametric resonances when three attractors coexist are presented in color. An enlargement of one region of the map for principal parametric resonance reveals a Cantor-like set of fractal boundaries. For some cases, both periodic and chaotic attractors coexist.     

Non-element method of solving 2D boundary problems defined on polygonal domains modeled by Navier equation

The paper presents a non-element method of solving boundary problems defined on polygonal domains modeled by corner points. To solve these problems a parametric integral equation system (PIES) is used. The system is characterized by a separation of the approximation of boundary geometry from the approximation of boundary functions. This feature makes it possible to effectively investigate the convergence of the obtained solutions with no need of performing the approximation of boundary geometry. The testing examples included confirm high accuracy of the solutions.     

Response probability density functions of strongly non-linear systems by the path integration method

The paper discusses challenges in numerical analysis and numerical/analytical results for strongly non-linear systems—systems with “signum”-type non-linearities. Such non-linearities are implemented for instantaneous variations of the systems’ parameters, to reduce their mean energy response when subjected to random excitations. Numerical results for displacement and velocity response probability density functions (PDFs), energy response PDFs and various order moments are obtained by the path integration technique. Attention is also given to evaluation of mean upcrossing rate, related to the system's half period, via Rice's formula informally applied to discontinuous response PDFs.     

“Frictionless” and “frictional” ThermoElastic Dynamic Instability (TEDI) of sliding contacts

Recently, we found that a new form of coupled instability, named ThermoElastic Dynamic Instability (TEDI), can occur by interaction between frictional heating and the natural dynamic modes of sliding bodies. This is distinct from the classical dynamic instabilities (DI) which is produced by an interaction between the frictional forces at the sliding interface and the natural modes of vibration of the bodies if the friction coefficient is sufficiently high, and also from ThermoElastic Instability (TEI), which is due to the interaction of frictional heating and thermal expansion, leading for example to low pitched brake noise above some critical speed. This result was relative to an highly idealized system, comprising an elastic layer sliding over a rigid plane including both dynamic and thermoelastic effects, but neglecting shear waves at the interface due to frictional tractions (from which the denomination “frictionless TEDI”). We demonstrate here that including these shear waves destabilizes both the shear and dilatational vibration modes of the system at arbitrarily small friction coefficients and speeds, where DI and TEI are predicted to be stable. A detailed study of the new modes and transient simulations show that for low pressures and high speed, the system tends towards the results of the previous model (“frictionless TEDI”), i.e. the tendency to a state in which the layer bounces over the plane, with alternating periods of sliding contact and separation. In the case of low speeds and high pressures, viceversa, the system is dominated by the modes near the resonance of the shear and dilatational modes, with a resulting complex behaviour, but generally leading to stick-slip regimes, reducing the jumping mode of “frictionless TEDI”, because stick reduces or stops frictional heating production.     

Application of an Itô-based approximation method to random vibration of a pinching hysteretic system

In this paper, an extension of the Cumulant-Neglect closure scheme is utilized for the random vibration analysis of a single degree of freedom system with a general pinching hysteresis restoring force. The hysteresis element used in the system model can simulate commonly observed forms of stiffness, strength and pinching degradations. The second order statistics of the system response to a stationary Gaussian white noise input are derived using an Itô-based approximation technique. The validity of these response statistics are then verified by comparing them to Monte Carlo simulation results. The numerical studies performed for different combinations of degradation parameters and excitation levels show that the response estimates obtained by this solution method are in good agreement with Monte Carlo simulation. These studies also indicate the applicability of this technique for response analysis of complicated forms of non-linearities.     

Wake-induced vibrations of an elastically mounted cylinder located downstream of a stationary larger cylinder at low Reynolds numbers

Two-dimensional numerical simulations of flow past two unequal-sized circular cylinders in tandem arrangement are performed at low Reynolds numbers (Re). The upstream larger cylinder is stationary, while the downstream cylinder has both one (transverse-only) and two (transverse and in-line) degrees of freedom (1-dof and 2-dof, respectively). The Re, based on the free stream velocity U_∞ and the downstream cylinder diameter d, varies between 50 and 200 with a wide range of reduced velocities U_r. The diameter of the upstream cylinder is twice that of the downstream cylinder, and the center-to-center spacing is 5.5d. In general, for the 1-dof case, the calculations show that the wake-induced vibrations (WIV) of the downstream cylinder are greatly amplified when compared to the case of a single cylinder or two equal-sized cylinders. The transverse amplitudes build up to a significantly higher level within and beyond the lock-in region, and the U_r associated with the peak amplitude shifts toward a higher value. The dominant wake pattern is 2S mode for Re=50 and 100, while with the increase of Re to 150 and 200, the P+S mode can be clearly observed at some lower U_r. For the 2-dof vibrations, the transverse response characteristics are similar to those presented in the corresponding 1-dof case. The in-line responses are generally much smaller, except for several significant vibrations resulting from in-line resonance. The obvious in-line vibration may induce a C (chaotic) vortex shedding mode for higher Re (Re=200). With regard to the 2-dof motion trajectories, besides the typical figure-eight pattern, several odd patterns such as figure-double eight and single-looped trajectories are also obtained due to the wake interference effect.