Speaker
Description
Mechanical structures, such as wind turbines and trusses, often exhibit complex vibratory responses to external excitation. Undesired or harmful oscillations might appear in addition to the desired system dynamics, sometimes depending on minor parameter variations. Understanding and predicting these responses is crucial to optimize the performance of such systems. However, nonlinearities due to material properties or large deformations, the intricate dynamics of joints, and parameter uncertainties impose a significant challenge to modeling approaches.
Network science, the study of interactions within complex interconnected systems, provides a novel perspective. By conceptualizing these mechanical systems in terms of component internal dynamics, coupling properties, and the connecting structure instead of the traditional description with inertia, damping, and stiffness, network-based methods reveal how the overall system dynamics arise from the interplay of components, interconnections, and structure. Prior work has shown that different response patterns can emerge for the same structure depending on the type of interaction mechanisms, i.e., different joint properties. For example, central components with many connections, so-called “hubs,” can act as accelerators (similar to well-connected individuals in social media that can quickly spread information across a large community) or decelerators (comparable to major crossroads that can be prone to traffic jams). Different classes of dynamical systems exhibit qualitatively different responses, from homogeneous and evenly distributed among the components to concentrated on a few central components.
This work answers questions such as “Which type of dynamics is my system likely to exhibit?” and “Which changes to the system will be most effective in mitigating unwanted states and achieving the desired system dynamics?” by applying network-based analyses to mechanical model structures. The research focuses on the impact of different coupling strategies on the overall system dynamics, aiming to enable engineers to design and control mechanical structures and their dynamics more effectively.
