Improved Modelling of a Nonlinear Parametrically Excited System with Electromagnetic Excitation

In this work, the nonlinear behaviour of a parametrically excited system with electromagnetic excitation is accurately modelled, predicted and experimentally investigated. The equations of motion include both the electromechanical coupling factor and the electromechanical damping. Unlike previous studies where only linear time-varying stiffness due to electromagnetic forces was presented, in this paper the effect of the induced current is studied. As a consequence, nonlinear parameters such as electromechanical damping, cubic stiffness and cubic parametric stiffness have been included in the model. These parameters are also observed experimentally by controlling the direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) passed through the electromagnets. In fact, the proposed apparatus allows to control both linear and nonlinear stiffnesses and the independent effect of each parameter on the response is presented. In particular the effect of the cubic parametric stiffness on the parametric resonance amplitudes and the influence of cubic stiffness on the frequency bandwidth of the parametric resonance are shown. This model improves the prediction of parametric resonance, frequency bandwidth, and the response amplitude of parametrically excited systems and it may lead to refined design of electromagnetic actuators, filters, amplifiers, vibration energy harvesters, and magnetic bearings.