Stability Analysis of a Nonlinear Jointed Beam under Distributed Follower Force

Abstract

This paper deals with the stability of a beam subjected to thrust. The thrust acts upon the structure as a follower non-conservative force, thus the structure can lose its stability by flutter or divergence depending on the system parameters. The model consists of two beams interconnected by a nonlinear joint. The joint is a combination of linear and nonlinear springs and a damper. Follower force is assumed to be linearly distributed along the length of beam, so the governing equation has variable coefficients, so that only an approximate solution is possible. We divided the beam into a number of segments so that force distributions could be approximated as constants and then we used the method of multiple scales to obtain the analytical solution of the system. The flutter and divergence and post-critical behavior are then obtained.