A stability in the large investigation for a non-linear second order two-degree-of-freedom system with periodic excitation

An extension to an algorithm due to Simpson has been developed for the analysis of a non-linear second order two-degree-of-freedom system with external periodic excitation. The form of equations considered arises from the study of mechanical systems with a single concentrated weak non-linearity and the method assumes a solution made up of harmonic terms whose amplitudes vary slowly in time. The system considered is such that in the absence of external excitation, it possesses a stable equilibrium point and an unstable limit cycle arising from a sub-critical Hopf bifurcation. When forcing is applied, the stable equilibrium point may then be replaced by a stable periodic attractor, and the limit cycle by an unstable multi-periodic attractor. The method has been applied to the problem of locating these attractors, and if they exist, of finding the stable attractor's basin of attraction in terms of initial conditions. The method reduces the problem from a search in four-dimensional phase space to a search for a boundary in a plane defined by amplitudes a₁ and a₂ in the assumed form of the solution.The method was applied to three non-linear systems in which the non-linearity was due to either a linear spring with a small amount of cubic hardening or a linear spring with freeplay. Agreement was shown to be good in those cases where the non-linearity was weak. However, the method would not be expected to give such accurate results if the non-linear effect was more significant. This was illustrated for a case involving the freeplay non-linearity.