Studies on Bifurcation and Chaos of a String-Beam Coupled System with Two Degrees-of-Freedom

Abstract

In this paper, research on nonlinear dynamic behavior of a string-beam coupled system subjected to parametric and external excitations is presented. The governing equations of motion are obtained for the nonlinear transverse vibrations of the string-beam coupled system. The Galerkin's method is employed to simplify the governing equations to a set of ordinary differential equations with two degrees-of-freedom. The case of 1:2 internal resonance between the modes of the beam and string, principal parametric resonance for the beam, and primary resonance for the string is considered. The method of multiple scales is utilized to analyze the nonlinear responses of the string-beam coupled system. Based on the averaged equation obtained here, the techniques of phase portrait, waveform, and Poincare map are applied to analyze the periodic and chaotic motions. It is found from numerical simulations that there are obvious jumping phenomena in the resonant response–frequency curves. It is indicated from the phase portrait and Poincare map that period-4, period-2, and periodic solutions and chaotic motions occur in the transverse nonlinear vibrations of the string-beam coupled system under certain conditions.