Harmonically Induced Shape Morphing of Bistable Buckled Beam with Static Bias

TL;DR

This paper studies how static bias forces influence the shape-changing dynamics of pre-buckled bistable beams under harmonic excitation, revealing new insights into stable state transitions for adaptive structural applications.

Contribution

It introduces the combined effects of static bias and harmonic excitation on bistable beam dynamics, expanding the understanding of multi-stable mechanical metamaterials.

Findings

Broadened non-fractal region for switching behavior.

Identified four categories of oscillatory motions.

Demonstrated minimal excitation for stable state transitions.

Abstract

We investigate the effect of a constant static bias force on the dynamically induced shape morphing of a pre-buckled bistable beam, focusing on the beam's ability to change its vibration to be near different stable states under harmonic excitation. Our study explores four categories of oscillatory motions: switching, reverting, vacillating, and intra-well in the parameter space. We aim to achieve transitions between stable states of the pre-buckled bistable beam with minimal excitation amplitude. Our findings demonstrate the synergistic effects between dynamic excitation and static bias force, showing a broadening of the non-fractal region for switching behavior (i.e., switching from the first stable state to the second stable state) in the parameter space. This study advances the understanding of the dynamics of key structural components for multi-stable mechanical metamaterials, offering new possibilities for novel designs in adaptive applications.