Nonlinear normal modes and response to random inputs of systems with bilinear stiffness

This work seeks to provide a comprehensive review of the effects that stiffness bilinearity can have on the nonlinear modes of a system, its response in a random vibration environment, and the connection between the two. Stiffness bilinearity here refers to a continuous piecewise linear force vs displacement function that is composed of two linear regions. This work focuses on a bilinear stiffness function that is regularized so there is a smooth transition at the point where the two linear regions meet. A single-degree-of-freedom system (SDOF) and a two-degree-of-freedom (2DOF) system are explored and several interesting behaviors are shown. The SDOF bilinear spring model is characterized by four parameters: the low amplitude frequency, the ratio of the linear stiffnesses on either side of the transition, the displacement at which the transition occurs, and the rate or sharpness of the transition. The effect of each parameter on the shape of the NNM is described. In a 2DOF system, these parameters have similar effects, but modal coupling is found to play a significant role. When a bilinear system is subjected to random excitation, many harmonics appear in the response for both the SDOF and 2DOF cases. The root-mean-square (RMS) response of the bilinear system can be larger or smaller than the corresponding linear case depending on the values of the parameters and the type of forcing (broadband, bandlimited, in the shape of a vibration mode, etc.). However, many cases were observed in which the RMS response of the bilinear system was almost the same as that of a linear system, and hence the response could be predicted well using linear analysis. It is hoped that the results presented herein can assist engineers in helping to determine when linear analysis would be adequate to predict the failure of a system, when a rigorous nonlinear analysis is required, and what phenomena are likely to be observed in the latter case.