TESTING TECHNIQUES FOR CHAOTIC VIBRATION OF BUCKLED AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES

A simple model of non-linear and chaotic dynamic behaviour of buckled plates is presented. Special procedures are described for setting up t he tests of flat and buckled plates with vibrations of large amplitude . The difficulties of measuring chaotic motion include the problems in designing the clamping fixtures, controlling the excitation and analy sing the results. Case studies of tests with shaker direct attachment, base excitation, and acoustic excitation are used to illustrate the p rocedures and ways to solve the various problems. The important non-li near dynamic characteristics of curved plates are found to be the tran sition from softening spring effects to hardening spring effects throu gh the intermediate region of chaotic motion. The chaotic motion is a large amplitude dynamic snap-through motion between the two static buc kled positions of the plate.