Three-dimensional nonlinear vibrations of composite beams — III. Chordwise excitations

Abstract

Three nonlinear integro-differential equations of motion derived in Part I are used to investigate the forced nonlinear vibration of a symmetrically laminated graphite-epoxy composite beam. The analysis focuses on the case of primary resonance of the first in-plane flexural (chordwise) mode when its frequency is approximately twice the frequency of the first out-of-plane flexural-torsional (flapwise-torsional) mode. A combination of the fundamental-matrix method and the method of multiple scales is used to derive four first-order ordinary-differential equations describing the modulation of the amplitudes and phases of the interacting modes with damping, nonlinearity, and resonances. The eigenvalues of the Jacobian matrix of the modulation equations are used to determine the stability of their constant solutions, and Floquet theory is used to determine the stability and bifurcations of their limit-cycle solutions. Hopf bifurcations, symmetry-breaking bifurcations, period-multiplying sequences, and chaotic motions of the modulation equations are studied. The results show that the motion can be nonplanar although the input force is planar. Nonplanar responses may be periodic, periodically modulated, or chaotically modulated motions.