Identification method for backbone curve of cantilever beam using van der Pol-type self-excited oscillation

This study presents an experimental method for identification of the backbone curves of cantilevers using the nonlinear dynamics of a van der Pol oscillator. The backbone curve characterizes the nonlinear stiffness and nonlinear inertia of the resonator, so it is important to identify this curve experimentally to realize high-sensitivity and high-accuracy sensing resonators. Unlike the conventional method based on the frequency response under external excitation, the proposed method based on self-excited oscillation enables direct backbone curve identification, because the effect of the viscous environment is eliminated under the linear velocity feedback condition. In this research, the method proposed for discrete systems is extended to give an identification method for continuum systems such as cantilever beams. The actuation is given with respect to both the linear and nonlinear feedbacks so that the system behaves as a van der Pol oscillator with a stable steady-state amplitude. By varying the nonlinear feedback gain, we can produce the self-excited oscillation experimentally with various steady-state amplitudes. Then, using the relationship between these steady-state amplitudes and the corresponding experimentally measured response frequencies, we can detect the backbone curve while varying the nonlinear feedback gain. The efficiency of the proposed method is determined by identifying the backbone curves of a macrocantilever with a tip mass and a macrocantilever subjected to atomic forces, which are representative sources of hardening and softening cubic nonlinearities, respectively.