Energy Flow Considerations in Nonlinear Systems on the Basis of Interesting Experiments with Three Paradigmatic Physical Systems in Engineering

Abstract

Nonlinear dynamical systems host types of central dynamics-phenomena whose phase space dynamic structure allows potentially the appearance of motions underlined by irreversible energy flow among the physical system components or the perpendicular projections of the vector dynamics. Motions exhibiting irreversible energy flow are a very important feature, and their potential existence could be addressed by either a mathematical model or a physical one, both endowed with coexisting central phenomena to form the dynamics environment for irreversible energy flow. Here we present experimental evidence that indeed irreversible energy flow-motions are observed in physical laboratory nonlinear systems possessing by design either coexisting static equilibria or coexisting chaotic and regular attractors. The observation of irreversible energy flow-motions in physical paradigmatic systems forms a basis for targeted-and-effective nonlinear modification of flexible elastic continua for vibration isolation and energy harvesting by inserting nonlinearities to create irreversible energy flow. From the scientific point of view, advanced considerations of nonlinear systems at the levels of energy or power flow is fundamental and potentially paves, as the present work indicates, an avenue for systematic exploitations of nonlinearities in mechanical-structural-electrical engineering applications.