Comparison of Exact and Approximate Frequency Response of a Piecewise Linear Vibration Isolator

In this paper an investigation is carried out to classify the steady state responses of asymmetric piecewise linear vibration isolators as double hitting, single hitting, and no hitting. In each class, the analysis has been carried out using a set of coupled nonlinear algebraic equations following Natsiavas and Gonzalez [1]. Applying perturbation technique, a closed form analytic expression of the frequency response is also derived for symmetric conditions. The exact frequency response is utilized to validate the analytic results obtained by perturbation techniques. Direct comparison indicates the results obtained by averaging method are mathematically and practically close to the exact solution.