Deterministic and Stochastic Response of Nonlinear Coupled Bending-Torsion Modes in a Cantilever Beam

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand the main differences between the deterministic and random response characteristics of an inextensible cantilever beam (with a tip mass) in the neighborhood of combination parametric resonance. The excitation is applied in the plane of largest rigidity such that the bending and torsion modes are cross-coupled through the excitation. In the absence of excitation, the two modes are also coupled due to inertia nonlinearities. For sinusoidal parametric excitation, the beam experiences instability in the neighborhood of the combination parametric resonance of the summed type, i.e., when the excitation frequency is in the neighborhood of the sum of the first bending and torsion natural frequencies. The dependence of the response amplitude on the excitation level reveals three distinct regions: nearly linear behavior, jump phenomena, and energy transfer. In the absence of nonlinear coupling, the stochastic stability boundaries are obtained in terms of sample Lyapunov exponent. The response statistics are estimated using Monte Carlo simulation, and measured experimentally. The excitation center frequency is selected to be close to the sum of the bending and torsion mode frequencies. The beam is found to experience a single response, two possible responses, or non-stationary responses, depending on excitation level. Experimentally, it is possible to obtain two different responses for the same excitation level by providing a small perturbation to the beam during the test.