Nonlinear Vibrations and Chaotic Behavior of Curved Two-Layer Beam-Like Structures Used in Automotive Industry

Curved multi-layer beams, such as leaf springs, are widely used in vehicle suspension systems for both road and rail vehicles in automotive industry due to their capacity for high loads and their vibrational damping properties.To design suspension systems that experience a large number of load types and complexities of friction, we must first understand the nonlinear dynamic behavior of curved beams.In this paper, the governing equations for the nonlinear vibrations of curved two-layer beams in the presence of interlayer slip are first derived.Then, the characteristic equation, the longitudinal and transverse mode shapes of the beam, are determined independently using eigenvalue problem solutions.Subsequently, using the calculated mode shapes, different phases of the dynamics of these structures are investigated, taking into account interlayer friction.The results of numerical simulations are compared and validated with finite element analysis using ANSYS software.The results show that the dynamic behavior of curved two-layer beams experiences chaotic regimes after initial slip.Different regimes of periodic, quasi-periodic and chaotic motions are found in the dynamics of the system.