Prediction of escape from a potential well under harmonic excitation

Non-linear dynamical systems are considered which are conservative except for the presence of viscous damping. The systems are initially at rest in a potential well. Harmonic excitation is applied, and approximate conditions for escape from the potential well are sought. A method is described which uses the harmonic-balance technique to obtain an approximate motion, and then compares the maximum energy during that motion with the potential barrier. Numerical results are presented for three one-degree-of-freedom systems and a system with two-degrees-of-freedom. The approximate critical forcing amplitudes are plotted as a function of the forcing frequency, and the results are compared to those obtained by numerical integration of the equations of motion. © 1992.

Duke Scholars

Author Lawrence N. Virgin Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materia ...