Characterizing dynamic transitions associated with snap-through: A discrete system

Geometrically nonlinear structures often possess multiple equilibrium configurations. Under extreme conditions of excitation, it is possible for these structures to exhibit oscillations about and between these co-existing configurations. This behavior may have serious implications for fatigue in the context of aircraft surface panels. Snap-through is a name often given to sudden changes in dynamic behavior associated with mechanical instability (buckling). This is an often encountered problem in hypersonic vehicles in which severe thermal loading and acoustic excitation conspire to create an especially hostile environment for structural elements. In this paper, a simple link model is used, experimentally and numerically, to investigate the mechanisms of snap-through buckling from a phenomenological standpoint. © 2013 American Society of Mechanical Engineers.