Nonlinear beam formulation incorporating surface energy and size effect:application in nano-bridges

A nonlinear beam formulation is presented based on the Gurtin-Murdoch surface elasticity and the modified couple stress theory. The developed model theoretically takes into account coupled effects of the energy of surface layer and microstructures size- dependency. The mid-plane stretching of a beam is incorporated using von-Karman nonlinear strains. Hamilton＇s principle is used to determine the nonlinear governing equation of motion and the corresponding boundary conditions. As a case study, pull-in instability of an electromechanical nano-bridge structure is studied using the proposed formulation. The nonlinear governing equation is solved by the analytical reduced order method （ROM） as well as the numerical solution. Effects of various parameters including surface layer, size dependency, dispersion forces, and structural damping on the pull- in parameters of the nano-bridges are discussed. Comparison of the results with the literature reveals capability of the present model in demonstrating the impact of nano- scale phenomena on the pull-in threshold of the nano-bridges.

Reference Coordinate System of Nonlinear Beam Element Based on the Geometrically Exact Formulation under Large Spatial Rotations and Deformations

Analysis of slender beam structures in a three-dimensional space is widely applicable in mechanical and civil engineering. This paper presents a new procedure to determine the reference coordinate system of a beam element under large rotation and elastic deformation based on a newly introduced physical concept: the zero twist sectional condition, which means that a non-twisted section between two nodes always exists and this section can reasonably be regarded as a reference coordinate system to calculate the internal element forces. This method can avoid the disagreement of the reference coordinates which might occur under large spatial rotations and deformations. Numerical examples given in the paper prove that this procedure guarantees the numerical exactness of the inherent formulation and improves the numerical efficiency, especially under large spatial rotations.

Stability Analysis of Spatial Cubic Spline Geometric Nonlinear Beam Element Considering the Second-Order Effect

To analyze the stability problem of spatial beam structure more accurately,a spatial cubic spline geometric nonlinear beam element was proposed considering the second-order effect.The deformation field was built with cubic spline function,and its curvature degree of freedom(DOF) was eliminated by static condensation method.Then we got the geometric nonlinear stiffness matrix of the new spatial two-node Euler-Bernoulli beam element.Several examples proved calculation accuracy of the critical load by meshing a bar to one element using the method of this paper was equivalent to mesh a bar to 3 or 4 traditional nonlinear beam elements.

Isogeometric analysis of free-form Timoshenko curved beams including the nonlinear effects of large deformations

In the present paper, the isogeometric analysis（IGA） of free-form planar curved beams is formulated based on the nonlinear Timoshenko beam theory to investigate the large deformation of beams with variable curvature. Based on the isoparametric concept, the shape functions of the field variables（displacement and rotation） in a finite element analysis are considered to be the same as the non-uniform rational basis spline（NURBS） basis functions defining the geometry. The validity of the presented formulation is tested in five case studies covering a wide range of engineering curved structures including from straight and constant curvature to variable curvature beams. The nonlinear deformation results obtained by the presented method are compared to well-established benchmark examples and also compared to the results of linear and nonlinear finite element analyses. As the nonlinear load-deflection behavior of Timoshenko beams is the main topic of this article, the results strongly show the applicability of the IGA method to the large deformation analysis of free-form curved beams. Finally, it is interesting to notice that, until very recently, the large deformations analysis of free-form Timoshenko curved beams has not been considered in IGA by researchers.

Dynamic response to a moving load of a Timoshenko beam resting on a nonlinear viscoelastic foundation

The present paper investigates the dynamic response of finite Timoshenko beams resting on a sixparameter foundation subjected to a moving load. It is for the first time that the Galerkin method and its convergence are studied for the response of a Timoshenko beam supported by a nonlinear foundation. The nonlinear Pasternak foundation is assumed to be cubic. Therefore, the effects of the shear deformable beams and the shear deformation of foundations are considered at the same time. The Galerkin method is utilized for discretizing the nonlinear partial dif- ferential governing equations of the forced vibration. The dynamic responses of Timoshenko beams are determined via the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. Moreover, the effects of different truncation terms on the dynamic responses of a Timoshenko beam resting on a complex foundation are discussed. The numerical investigations shows that the dynamic response of Timoshenko beams supported by elastic foundations needs super high-order modes. Furthermore, the system parameters are compared to determine the dependence of the convergences of the Galerkin method.

Approximate and numerical analysis of nonlinear forced vibration of axially moving viscoelastic beams

Steady-state periodical response is investigated for an axially moving viscoelastic beam with hybrid supports via approximate analysis with numerical confirmation. It is assumed that the excitation is spatially uniform and temporally harmonic. The transverse motion of axially moving beams is governed by a nonlinear partial-differential equation and a nonlinear integro-partial-differential equation. The material time derivative is used in the viscoelastic constitutive relation. The method of multiple scales is applied to the governing equations to investigate primary resonances under general boundary conditions. It is demonstrated that the mode uninvolved in the resonance has no effect on the steady-state response. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effects of the boundary constraint stiffness on the amplitude and the stability of the steady-state response. The results derived for two governing equations are qualitatively the same,but quantitatively different. The differential quadrature schemes are developed to verify those results via the method of multiple scales.

TRAVELING WAVE SOLUTIONS TO BEAM EQUATION WITH FAST-INCREASING NONLINEAR RESTORING FORCES

On studying traveling waves on a nonlinearly suspended bridge,the following partial differential equation has been considered:\$\$u\-\{tt\}+u\-\{xxxx\}+f(u)=0,\$\$where f(u)=u\++-1 .Here the bridge is seen as a vibrating beam supported by cables,which are treated as a spring with a one\|sided restoring force.The existence of a traveling wave solution to the above piece\|wise linear equation has been proved by solving the equation explicitly (McKenna & Walter in 1990).Recently the result has been extended to a group of equations with more general nonlinearities such as f(u)=u\++-1+g(u) (Chen & McKenna,1997).However,the restrictions on g(u) do not allow the resulting restoring force function to increase faster than the linear function u-1 for u >1.Since an interesting “multiton” behavior,that is ,two traveling waves appear to emerge intact after interacting nonlinearly with each other,has been observed in numerical experiments for a fast\|increasing nonlinearity f(u)=e u-1 -1 ,it hints that the conclusion of the existence of a traveling wave solution with fast\|increasing nonlinearities shall be valid as well.\;In this paper,the restoring force function of the form f(u)=u·h(u)-1 is considered.It is shown that a traveling wave solution exists when h(u)≥1 for u≥1 (with other assumptions which will be detailed in the paper),and hence allows f to grow faster than u-1 .It is shown that a solution can be obtained as a saddle point in a variational formulation.It is also easy to construct such fast\|increasing f(u) 's for more numerical tests.

Geometric nonlinear dynamic analysis of curved beams using curved beam element

Instead of using the previous straight beam element to approximate the curved beam,in this paper,a curvilinear coordinate is employed to describe the deformations,and a new curved beam element is proposed to model the curved beam.Based on exact nonlinear strain-displacement relation,virtual work principle is used to derive dynamic equations for a rotating curved beam,with the effects of axial extensibility,shear deformation and rotary inertia taken into account.The constant matrices are solved numerically utilizing the Gauss quadrature integration method.Newmark and Newton-Raphson iteration methods are adopted to solve the differential equations of the rigid-flexible coupling system.The present results are compared with those obtained by commercial programs to validate the present finite method.In order to further illustrate the convergence and efficiency characteristics of the present modeling and computation formulation,comparison of the results of the present formulation with those of the ADAMS software are made.Furthermore,the present results obtained from linear formulation are compared with those from nonlinear formulation,and the special dynamic characteristics of the curved beam are concluded by comparison with those of the straight beam.

Positive solutions of nonlinear elastic beam equations with a fixed end and a movable end

The existence of n positive solutions is studied for a class of fourth-order elastic beam equations where one end is fixed and other end is movable. Here, n is an arbitrary natural number. Our results show that the class of equations may have n positive solutions provided the “heights” of the nonlinear term are appropriate on some bounded sets.

NONLINEAR FLEXURAL WAVES IN LARGE-DEFLECTION BEAMS

The equation of motion for a large-deflection beam in the Lagrangian description are derived using the coupling of flexural deformation and midplane stretching as a key source of nonlinearity and taking into account the transverse, axial and rotary inertia effects. Assuming a traveling wave solution, the nonlinear partial differential equations are then transformed into ordinary differential equations. Qualitative analysis indicates that the system can have either a homoclinic orbit or a heteroclinic orbit, depending on whether the rotary inertia effect is taken into account. Furthermore, exact periodic solutions of the nonlinear wave equations are obtained by means of the Jacobi elliptic function expansion. When the modulus of the Jacobi elliptic function m→1 in the degenerate case, either a solitary wave solution or a shock wave solution can be obtained.

Nonlinear vibration of embedded single-walled carbon nanotube with geometrical imperfection under harmonic load based on nonlocal Timoshenko beam theory

Based on the nonlocal continuum theory, the nonlinear vibration of an embedded single-walled carbon nanotube （SWCNT） subjected to a harmonic load is in- vestigated. In the present study, the SWCNT is assumed to be a curved beam, which is unlike previous similar work. Firstly, the governing equations of motion are derived by the Hamilton principle, meanwhile, the Galerkin approach is carried out to convert the nonlinear integral-differential equation into a second-order nonlinear ordinary differ- ential equation. Then, the precise integration method based on the local linearzation is appropriately designed for solving the above dynamic equations. Besides, the numerical example is presented, the effects of the nonlocal parameters, the elastic medium constants, the waviness ratios, and the material lengths on the dynamic response are analyzed. The results show that the above mentioned effects have influences on the dynamic behavior of the SWCNT.

A new beam element for analyzing geometrical and physical nonlinearity

Based on Timoshenko＇s beam theory and Vlasov＇s thin-walled member theory, a new model of spatial thin-walled beam element is developed for analyzing geometrical and physical nonlinearity, which incorporates an interior node and independent interpolations of bending angles and warp and takes diversified factors into consideration, such as traverse shear deformation, torsional shear deformation and their coupling, coupling of flexure and torsion, and the second shear stress. The geometrical nonlinear strain is formulated in updated Lagarange （UL） and the corresponding stiffness matrix is derived. The perfectly plastic model is used to account for physical nonlinearity, and the yield rule of von Mises and incremental relationship of Prandtle-Reuss are adopted. Elastoplastic stiffness matrix is obtained by numerical integration based on the finite segment method, and a finite element program is compiled. Numerical examples manifest that the proposed model is accurate and feasible in the analysis of thin-walled structures.

Nonlinear dynamics of axially moving viscoelastic Timoshenko beam under parametric and external excitations

This investigation focuses on the nonlinear dynamic behaviors in the trans- verse vibration of an axiMly accelerating viscoelastic Timoshenko beam with the external harmonic excitation. The parametric excitation is caused by the harmonic fluctuations of the axial moving speed. An integro-partial-differential equation governing the transverse vibration of the Timoshenko beam is established. Many factors are considered, such as viscoelasticity, the finite axial support rigidity, and the longitudinally varying tension due to the axial acceleration. With the Galerkin truncation method, a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations are derived by discretizing the governing equation. Based on the numerical solutions, the bifurcation diagrams are presented to study the effect of the external transverse excitation. Moreover, the frequencies of the two excitations are assumed to be multiple. Further, five different tools, including the time history, the Poincaré map, and the sensitivity to initial conditions, are used to identify the motion form of the nonlinear vibration. Numerical results also show the characteristics of the quasiperiodic motion of the translating Timoshenko beam under an incommensurable re- lationship between the dual-frequency excitations.

Generation of breathing solitons in the propagation and interactions of Airy–Gaussian beams in a cubic–quintic nonlinear medium

Using the split-step Fourier transform method, we numerically investigate the generation of breathing solitons in the propagation and interactions of Airy–Gaussian（AiG） beams in a cubic–quintic nonlinear medium in one transverse dimension. We show that the propagation of single AiG beams can generate stable breathing solitons that do not accelerate within a certain initial power range. The propagation direction of these breathing solitons can be controlled by introducing a launch angle to the incident AiG beams. When two AiG beams accelerated in opposite directions interact with each other,different breathing solitons and soliton pairs are observed by adjusting the phase shift, the beam interval, the amplitudes,and the light field distribution of the initial AiG beams.

Chaotic Motions of Nonlinear Viscoelastic Beams

The integro-partial-differential equation that governs the dynamical behavior of homogeneous viscoelastic beams with geometric and material nonlinearities is established. The material of the beams obeys the Leaderman nonlinear constitutive relation. In the case of simple supported ends, the Galerkin method is applied to simplify the integro-partial-differential equation to a integro -differential equation. The equation is further simplified to a set of ordinary differential equations by introducing an additional variable. Finally, the numerical method is applied to investigate the dynamical behavior of the beam, and results show that chaos occurs in the motion of the beam.

Design parameter optimization of beam foundation on soft soil layer with nonlinear finite element

Finite element method was performed to investigate the influences of beam stiffness,foundation width and cushion thickness on the bearing capacity of beam foundation on underlying weak laminated clay.The comparison between numerical results and results from field test including plate-bearing test and foundation settlement observation shows reasonable agreement.According to the numerical results,the beam width,length,cross section and cushion thickness were optimized.The results show that the stresses in subgrade soil decrease greatly with increasing the cushion thickness and width of foundation.However,the foundation settlement and influencing depth of displacement also increase correspondingly under conditions of relatively thinner cushion thickness.For the foundations on underlying weak layer,increasing foundation width merely might be inadequate for improving the bearing capacity,and the appropriate width and cushion thickness depend on the response of subgrade.A comparison between rigid and flexible beams was also discussed.The influence of a flexible beam foundation on subgrade is relatively smaller under the same loading conditions,and the flexible beam foundation appears more adaptable to various subgrades.The proposed flexible beam foundation was adopted in engineering.According to the calculation results,beam width of 2.4 m and cushion thickness of 0.8 m are proposed,and a flexible beam foundation is applied in the optimized design,which is confirmed reasonable by the actual engineering.

A Meshless Method for Retrieving Nonlinear Large External Forces on Euler-Bernoulli Beams

We retrieve unknown nonlinear large space-time dependent forces burdened with the vibrating nonlinear Euler-Bernoulli beams under varied boundary data,comprising two-end fixed,cantilevered,clamped-hinged,and simply supported conditions in this study.Even though some researchers used several schemes to overcome these forward problems of Euler-Bernoulli beams;however,an effective numerical algorithm to solve these inverse problems is still not available.We cope with the homogeneous boundary conditions,initial data,and final time datum for each type of nonlinear beam by employing a variety of boundary shape functions.The unknown nonlinear large external force can be recuperated via back-substitution of the solution into the nonlinear Euler-Bernoulli beam equation when we acquire the solution by utilizing the boundary shape function scheme and deal with a smallscale linear system to gratify an additional right-side boundary data.For the robustness and accuracy,we reveal that the current schemes are substantiated by comparing the recuperated numerical results of four instances to the exact forces,even though a large level of noise up to 50%is burdened with the overspecified conditions.The current method can be employed in the online real-time computation of unknown force functions in space-time for varied boundary supports of the vibrating nonlinear beam.

Phased Array Beam Fields of Nonlinear Rayleigh Surface Waves

This study concerns calculation of phased array beam fields of the nonlinear Rayleigh surface waves based on the integral solutions for a nonparaxial wave equation. Since the parabolic approximation model for describing the nonlinear Rayleigh waves has certain limitations in modeling the sound beam fields of phased arrays, a more general model equation and integral forms of quasilinear solutions are introduced. Some features of steered and focused beam fields radiated from a linear phased array of the second harmonic Rayleigh wave are presented.

DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF ARREST OF BUCKLE PROPAGATION ON A BEAM ON A NONLINEAR ELASTIC FOUNDATION BY FEM

Based on the dynamic governing equation of propagating buckle on a beam on a nonlinear elastic foundation, this paper deals with an important problem of buckle arrest by combining the FEM with a time integration technique. A new conclusion completely different from that by the quasi-static analysis about the buckle arrestor design is drawn. This shows that the inertia of the beam cannot be ignored in the analysis under consideration, especially when the buckle propagation is suddenly stopped by the arrestors.

GEOMETRICALLY NONLINEAR FINITE ELEMENT MODEL OF SPATIAL THIN-WALLED BEAMS WITH GENERAL OPEN CROSS SECTION

Based on the theory of Timoshenko and thin-walled beams, a new finite element model of spatial thin-walled beams with general open cross sections is presented in the paper, in which several factors are included such as lateral shear deformation, warp generated by nonuni- form torsion and second-order shear stress, coupling of flexure and torsion, and large displacement with small strain. With an additional internal node in the element, the element stiffness matrix is deduced by incremental virtual work in updated Lagrangian （UL） formulation. Numerical examples demonstrate that the presented model well describes the geometrically nonlinear property of spatial thin-walled beams.