Large deflection of cantilever beams with geometric non-linearity: Analytical and numerical approaches

Non-linear shooting and Adomian decomposition methods have been proposed to determine the large deflection of a cantilever beam under arbitrary loading conditions. Results obtained only due to end loading are validated using elliptic integral solutions. The non-linear shooting method gives accurate numerical results while the Adomian decomposition method yields polynomial expressions for the beam configuration. With high load parameters, occurrence of multiple solutions is discussed with reference to possible buckling of the beam-column. An example of concentrated intermediate loading (cantilever beam subjected to two concentrated self-balanced moments), for which no closed form solution can be obtained, is solved using these two methods. Some of the limitations and recipes to obviate these are included. The methods will be useful toward the design of compliant mechanisms driven by smart actuators.