A generalized bilinear amplitude and frequency approximation for piecewise-linear nonlinear systems with gaps or prestress

Abstract

Analysis of piecewise-linear nonlinear dynamical systems is critical for a variety of civil, mechanical, and aerospace structures that contain gaps or prestress that are caused by cracks, delamination, joints or interfaces among components. Recently, a technique referred to as bilinear amplitude approximation (BAA) was developed to estimate the response of bilinear systems that have no gap or prestress. The method is based on an idea that the dynamics of a bilinear system can be treated as a combination of linear responses in two time intervals both of which the system behaves as a distinct linear system: (1) the open state and (2) the closed or sliding state. Both geometric and momentum constraints are then applied as compatibility conditions between the states to couple the linear vibrational response for each time interval. In order to estimate the response for more general cases where there are either gaps or prestress in the system, a generalized BAA method is proposed in this paper. The new method requires inclusion of contact stiffness and damping to model contact behavior in the sliding state, and new equilibrium positions for each state to establish proper coordinates. The new method also finds the bilinear frequency of the system, which cannot be computed using the bilinear frequency approximation method previously developed since that method is only accurate for the zero gap and no prestress case. The generalized BAA method is demonstrated on a single degree of freedom system, a three degree of freedom system, and a cracked cantilever beam model for various gap sizes and prestress levels.