Experimental validation of reduction methods for nonlinear vibrations of distributed-parameter systems: Analysis of a buckled beam

An experimental validation of the suitability of reduction methods far studying nonlinear vibrations of distributed-parameter systems is attempted. Nonlinear planar vibrations of a clamped-clamped buckled beam about its first post-buckling configuration are analyzed. The case of primary resonance of the nth mode of the beam, when no internal resonances involving this mode are active, is investigated. Approximate solutions are obtained by applying the method of multiple scales to a single-mode model discretized via the Galerkin procedure and by directly attacking the governing integral-partial-differential equation and boundary conditions with the method of multiple scales. Frequency-response curves for the case of primary resonance of the first mode are generated using both approaches for several buckling levels and are contrasted with experimentally obtained frequency-response curves for two test beams. For high buckling levels above the first crossover point of the beam, the computed frequency-response curves are qualitatively as well as quantitatively different. The experimentally obtained frequency-response curves for the directly excited first mode are in agreement with those obtained with the direct approach and in disagreement with those obtained with the single-mode discretization approach.