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Abstract: This paper studies the interaction between non-viscous damping and nonlinearities for nonlinear oscillators with reflection symmetry. The non-viscous damping function is an exponential damping model which adds a decaying memory property to the damping term of the oscillator. We consider the case of softening and hardening behaviour in the frequency response of the system. Numerical simulations of the Duffing oscillator show a significant enhancement of the resonance peaks for increasing levels of non-viscous damping parameter in the hardening case, but not in the softening case. This can be explained in the general context by an energy balance analysis of the undamped unforced oscillator, which shows that for hardening nonlinearities the growth of damping with the energy level is an order of magnitude smaller in the exponential case than in the viscous case. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we present new results from laboratory tests of a helicopter rotor blade coupled with a lag damper from the EH101 helicopter. Previous modelling of this combined system has been purely numerical. However, this has proved challenging due to the nonlinear behaviour of the dampers involved—the fluid filled lag damper is known to have approximate piecewise linear force–velocity characteristics, due to blow-off valves which are triggered at a certain force level, combined with a strongly hysteretic dynamic profile. The novelty of the results presented here, is that the use of a hybrid numerical–experimental testing technique called real-time dynamic substructuring, allowed a numerical model of the rotor to be combined with the physical testing of a flight certified lag damper unit. These hybrid tests, which are similar in concept to hardware-in-the-loop, were carried out in real-time such that there is bi-directional coupling between the numerical blade model and the experimental lag damper. The new results obtained from these tests (for steady-state flight conditions) reveal how the inclusion of a real damper produces a more realistic representation of the dynamic characteristics of the overall blade system (during operational flight conditions) than numerical modelling alone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this work multi-modal systems subject to impact are considered. Using energy balance techniques for an arbitrary contact interval the effects of modal vibration can be included. The energy balance is used to obtain a relationship between the coefficient of restitution and the modal energy during the contact period. This allows the effects of impact induced vibration to be considered. The subsequent analytical relationships demonstrate that increasing contact duration and excitation of higher modes can reduce the effective value of the coefficient of restitution. It is also shown how this approach can be related to work on energetically consistent impacts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The High Static Low Dynamic Stiffness (HSLDS) concept is a design strategy for a nonlinear anti-vibration mount that seeks to increase isolation by lowering the natural frequency of the mount whilst maintaining the same static load bearing capacity. It has previously been proposed that an HSLDS mount could be implemented by connecting linear springs in parallel with the transverse flexure of a composite bistable plate — a plate that has two stable shapes between which it may snap. Using a bistable plate in this way will lead to lightweight and efficient designs of HSLDS mounts. This paper experimentally demonstrates the feasibility of this idea. Firstly, the quasi-static force–displacement curve of a mounted bistable plate is determined experimentally. Then the dynamic response of a nonlinear mass–spring system incorporating this plate is measured. Excellent agreement is obtained when compared to theoretical predictions based on the measured force–displacement curve, and the system shows a greater isolation region and a lower peak response to base excitation than the equivalent linear system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we consider the steady-state response of forced, damped, weakly nonlinear oscillators with polynomial type nonlinearities. In particular we define general expressions that can be used to compute resonant response functions which define the steady-state constant amplitude oscillatory response at the primary resonance and the associated harmonics. The resonant response functions are derived using a normal form transformation which is carried out directly on the second-order nonlinear oscillator. The example of a forced van der Pol oscillator with an additional cubic stiffness nonlinearity is used to demonstrate how the general analysis can be applied. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The high static low dynamic stiffness (HSLDS) concept is a design strategy for an anti-vibration mount that seeks to increase isolation by lowering the natural frequency of the mount, whilst maintaining the same static load bearing capacity. Previous studies have successfully analysed many features of the response by modelling the concept as a Duffing oscillator. This study extends the previous findings by characterising the HSLDS model in terms of two simple parameters. A fifth-order polynomial model allows us to explore the effects of these parameters. We analyse the steady-state response, showing that simple changes to the shape of the force displacement curve can have large effects on the amplitude and frequency of peak response, and can even lead to unbounded response at certain levels of excitation. Harmonics of the fundamental response are also analysed, and it is shown that they are unlikely to pose significant design limitations. Predictions compare well to simulation results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a study of how different vibration modes contribute to the dynamics of an inclined cable that is parametrically excited close to a 2:1 internal resonance. The behaviour of inclined cables is important for design and analysis of cable-stayed bridges. In this work the cable vibrations are modelled by a four-mode model. This type of model has been used previously to study the onset of cable sway motion caused by internal resonances which occur due to the nonlinear modal coupling terms. A bifurcation study is carried out with numerical continuation techniques applied to the scaled and averaged modal equations. As part of this analysis, the amplitudes of the cable vibration response to support inputs is computed. These theoretical results are compared with experimental measurements taken from a 5.4m long inclined cable with a vertical support input at the lower end. In general this comparison shows a very high level of agreement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper the out-of-plane dynamic stability of inclined cables subjected to in-plane vertical support excitation is investigated. We compute stability boundaries for the out-of-plane modes using rescaling and averaging methods. Our study focuses on the 2:1 internal resonance phenomenon between modes that occurs when the excitation frequency is twice the first out-of-plane natural frequency of the cable. The second in-plane mode is excited directly, while the out-of-plane modes can be excited parametrically. An analytical model is developed in order to study the stability regions in parameter space. In this model we include nonlinear coupling effects with other modes, which have thus far been omitted from previous models of parametric excitation of inclined cables. Our study reflects the importance of such effects. Unstable parameter regions are defined for the selected cable configuration. The validity of the proposed stability model was tested experimentally using a small-scale cable actuator rig. A comparison between experimental and analytical results is presented in which very good agreement with model predictions was obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

When a nonlinear system is expressed in terms of the modes of the equivalent linear system, the nonlinearity often leads to modal coupling terms between the linear modes. In this paper it is shown that, for a system to exhibit an internal resonance between modes, a particular type of nonlinear coupling term is required. Such terms impose a phase condition between linear modes, and hence are denoted phase-locking terms. The effect of additional modes that are not coupled via phase-locking terms is then investigated by considering the backbone curves of the system. Using the example of a two-mode model of a taut horizontal cable, the backbone curves are derived for both the case where phase-locked coupling terms exist, and where there are no phase-locked coupling terms. Following this, an analytical method for determining stability is used to show that phase-locking terms are required for internal resonance to occur. Finally, the effect of non-phase-locked modes is investigated and it is shown that they lead to a stiffening of the system. Using the cable example, a physical interpretation of this is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the backbone curves of a two-degree-of-freedom nonlinear oscillator are used to interpret its behaviour when subjected to external forcing. The backbone curves describe the loci of dynamic responses of a system when unforced and undamped, and are represented in the frequency–amplitude projection. In this study we provide an analytical method for relating the backbone curves, found using the second-order normal form technique, to the forced responses. This is achieved using an energy-based analysis to predict the resonant crossing points between the forced responses and the backbone curves. This approach is applied to an example system subjected to two different forcing cases: one in which the forcing is applied directly to an underlying linear mode and the other subjected to forcing in both linear modes. Additionally, a method for assessing the accuracy of the prediction of the resonant crossing points is then introduced, and these predictions are then compared to responses found using numerical continuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]