Periodic Motion and Frequency Energy Plots of Dynamical Systems Coupled With Piecewise Nonlinear Energy Sink

The frequency-energy plots (FEPs) of two-degree-of-freedom linear structures attached to a piecewise nonlinear energy sink (PNES) are generated here and thoroughly investigated. This study provides the FEP analysis of such systems for further understanding to nonlinear targeted energy transfer (TET) by the PNES. The attached PNES to the considered linear dynamical systems incorporates a symmetrical clearance zone of zero stiffness content where the boundaries of the zone are coupled with the linear structure by linear stiffness elements. In addition, linear viscous damping is selected to be continuous during the PNES mass oscillation. The underlying nonlinear dynamical behavior of the considered structure-PNES systems is investigated by generating the fundamental backbone curves of the FEP and the bifurcated subharmonic resonance branches using numerical continuation methods. Accordingly, interesting dynamical behavior of the nonlinear normal modes (NNMs) of the structure-PNES system on different backbones and subharmonic resonance branches has been observed. In addition, the imposed wavelet transform frequency spectra on the FEPs have revealed that the TET takes place in multiple resonance captures where it is dominated by the nonlinear action of the PNES.