Control of the homoclinic bifurcation in buckled beams: Infinite dimensional vs reduced order modeling

A method for controlling non-linear dynamics and chaos is applied to the infinite dimensional dynamics of a buckled beam subjected to a generic space varying time-periodic transversal excitation. The homoclinic bifurcation of the hilltop saddle is identified as the undesired dynamical event, because it triggers, e.g., cross-well scattered (possibly chaotic) dynamics. Its elimination is then pursued by a control strategy which consists in choosing the best spatial and temporal shape of the excitation permitting the maximum shift of the homoclinic bifurcation threshold in the excitation amplitude–frequency parameters space.The homoclinic bifurcation is detected by the Holmes and Marsden's theorem [A partial differential equation with infinitely many periodic orbits: chaotic oscillations of a forced beam, Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 76 (1981) 135–165] constituting a generalization of the classical Melnikov's theory. Two classes of boundary conditions (b.c.) are identified: for the first, the Melnikov function is exactly the same as obtained with the reduced order models, while for the second, which is more general, this is no longer true, and the non-linear normal modes theory is used. Based on this distinction, the control method is then separately applied to the two cases, and the optimal spatial and temporal shapes of the excitation are determined.A detailed comparison of the infinite vs finite dimensional models is performed with respect to the control features, and it is shown that, depending on the b.c., the control based on the reduced order model provides either exact or engineering acceptable results, although more systematic investigations are required to generalize the last conclusion.