Analysis of the Coupled Nonlinear Vibration of a Two-Mass System

This paper presents a fixed-end two-mass system (TMS) with end constraints that permits uncoupled solutions for different masses. The coupled nonlinear models for the present fixed-end TMS were solved using the continuous piecewise linearization method (CPLM) and detailed investigation on the effect of mass-ratio on the TMS response was conducted. The investigations showed that increased mass-ratio leads to decreased oscillation frequency and an asymptotic response was obtained at very large mass-ratios. Theoretical solutions to determine the asymptotic response were derived. Also, it was observed that distinct responses can be obtained for the same mass-ratio depending on the mass combination in the TMS. The present fixed-end TMS and the analyses presented give a broader understanding of fixed-end TMS.