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Presented herein is a modified Galerkin discretization procedure for determining the qualitative dynamic behavior of elastic cantilevers with internal damping under partial follower step loading at their tips. For this strong nonlinear nonconservative system, the scheme proposed makes use of basic functions that are a product of nonlinear corrections of approximate linear shape functions. These corrected modes are computed in a way that all the nonlinear nonhomogeneous boundary conditions of the actual problem are satisfied throughout the motion. Numerical results obtained using a two-mode approach are found to be in very good qualitative agreement with the finite element results presented in the literature, not only in the vicinity of the critical states, but also in remote unstable domains. The effect of variation of initial conditions is also investigated and the advantages of the proposed procedure compared with conventional ones are discussed. Further research is required for establishing its capabilities and the range of its applicability for a broader class of nonconservative dynamic problems.

The paper deals with a three-dimensional problem on natural vibrations and stability of thin-walled cylindrical shells with arbitrary cross sections, containing a quiescent or flowing ideal compressible fluid. The motion of compressible non-viscous fluid is described by a wave equation, which together with the impermeability condition and corresponding boundary conditions is transformed using the Bubnov–Galerkin method. A mathematical formulation of the problem of thin-walled structure dynamics has been developed based on the variational principle of virtual displacements. Simulation of shells with arbitrary cross sections is performed under the assumption that a curvilinear surface is approximated to sufficient accuracy by a set of plane rectangular elements. The strains are calculated using the relations of the theory of thin shells based on the Kirchhoff–Love hypothesis. The developed finite element algorithm has been employed to investigate the influence of the fluid level, the ratio of the ellipse semi-axes and types of boundary conditions on the eigenfrequencies, vibration modes and the boundary of hydroelastic stability of thin-walled circular and elliptical cylindrical shells interacting with a quiescent or flowing fluid.

In the first part of this paper, elastostatic stability of cracked conservative flanged concrete beam-columns has been analyzed. Using the derived expression for the lateral stiffness under constant axial force, their elastodynamic stability is investigated in this second part. As expected, the instantaneous values of the stiffness and the damping coefficients of the lumped-mass underdamped SDOF nonlinear structures are found to depend upon the vibration amplitude. The natural frequency has been found to vanish at the two critical axial loads defined in the first part. For axial load exceeding the second critical value, the concrete beam-columns in the second equilibrium state are shown to exhibit loss of dynamic stability by divergence. Depending upon the initial conditions, the phase plane has been partitioned into dynamically stable and unstable regions. Under harmonic excitations, the nonlinear dynamical systems exhibit subharmonic resonances and jump phenomena. Loss of dynamic stability has been predicted for some ranges of damping ratio as well as of peak sinusoidal force and forcing frequency. Sensitivity of dynamic stability to the initial conditions and the sense of the peak sinusoidal force have also been predicted. The theoretical significance and the methodology adopted in this paper are also discussed.

In this study, the critical load and natural vibration frequency of Euler–Bernoulli single nanobeams based on Eringen’s nonlocal elasticity theory are investigated. Cantilever nanobeams with attached sprung masses were subjected to compressed concentrated and distributed follower forces. The parameter that determines the direction of nonconservative follower forces was given the positive and negative values, therefore, sub-tangential and super-tangential load were analyzed. The stability analysis is based on dynamical stability criterion and was carried out using a numerical algorithm for solving segmental nanobeams with many boundary conditions. The presented algorithm is based on the exact solutions of motion equations which are derived from equilibrium conditions for each separated segment of the nanobeam. Two comparison studies are conducted to ensure the validity and accuracy of the presented algorithm. The excellent agreement of critical load for Beck’s nano-column on Winkler foundation observed was confirmed as reported by other researchers. The effect of different values of the nonlocality parameter, tangency coefficient, spring stiffness coefficient, location of sprung mass and the greater number of attached sprung masses on a critical load of nanobeams compressed by nonconservative load are discussed. One of the presented results shows that significant differences between local and nonlocal theory appear when the beam subjected to follower forces loses its stability by flutter.