We present a structural topology optimization method to tailor the hardening/softening dynamic response of nonlinear mechanical systems. The coefficient that controls this behavior is computed analytically using the third-order normal-form parametrization of the Lyapunov subcenter manifold, which eliminates the need for expensive full-order simulations and numerical continuation to approximate the so-called backbone curve of the system. The method further leverages the adjoint method for efficiently computing sensitivities of the objective function and constraints, while the explicit formulation of nonlinear internal elastic forces through tensor notation simplifies these evaluations. Notably, this tensorial approach is computationally efficient, especially when applied to a regular grid of elements. Consequently, the proposed approach offers a robust and efficient framework for optimizing the dynamic performance of nonlinear mechanical structures modeled with high-dimensional finite element models. The findings are corroborated through examples of two geometrically nonlinear systems, a Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) beam and a microelectro-mechanical system (MEMS) inertial resonator.

The theory of spectral submanifolds (SSMs) has emerged as a powerful tool for constructing rigorous, low-dimensional reduced-order models (ROMs) of high-dimensional nonlinear mechanical systems. A direct computation of SSMs requires explicit knowledge of nonlinear coefficients in the equations of motion, which limits their applicability to generic finite-element (FE) solvers. Here, we propose a non-intrusive algorithm for the computation of the SSMs and the associated ROMs up to arbitrary polynomial orders. This non-intrusive algorithm only requires system nonlinearity as a black box and hence, enables SSM-based model reduction via generic finite-element software. Our expressions and algorithms are valid for systems with up to cubic-order nonlinearities, including velocity-dependent nonlinear terms, asymmetric damping, and stiffness matrices, and hence work for a large class of mechanics problems. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed non-intrusive approach over a variety of FE examples of increasing complexity, including a micro-resonator FE model containing more than a million degrees of freedom.

A 1:2 internally resonant mechanical system can undergo secondary Hopf (Neimark-Sacker) bifurcations, resulting in a quasi-periodic response when the system is subject to harmonic excitation. While these quasi-periodic orbits have been observed in practice, their bifurcations are not well studied, especially in high-dimensional mechanical systems. This is mainly because of the challenges associated with the computation and bifurcation detection of these quasi-periodic motions. Here we present a computational framework to address these challenges via reductions on spectral submanifolds, which transforms quasi-periodic orbits of high-dimensional systems as limit cycles of four-dimensional reduced-order models. We apply the proposed framework to analyze bifurcations of quasi-periodic orbits in several mechanical systems exhibiting 1:2 internal resonance, including a finite element model of a shallow-curved shell. We uncover local bifurcations such as period-doubling and saddle-node, as well as global bifurcations such as homoclinic connections, isolas, and simple bifurcations of quasi-periodic orbits. We also observe cascades of period-doubling bifurcations of quasi-periodic orbits that eventually result in chaotic motions, as well as the coexistence of chaotic and quasi-periodic attractors. These findings elucidate the complex bifurcation mechanism of quasi-periodic orbits in 1:2 internally resonant systems.

A variety of reduced order modeling (ROM) methods for geometrically nonlinear structures have been developed over recent decades, each of which takes a distinct approach, and may have different advantages and disadvantages for a given application. This research challenge is motivated by the need for a consistent, reliable, and ongoing process for ROM comparison. In this chapter, seven state-of-the-art ROM methods are evaluated and compared in terms of accuracy and efficiency in capturing the nonlinear characteristics of a benchmark structure: a curved, perforated plate that is part of the exhaust system of a large diesel engine. Preliminary results comparing the full-order and ROM simulations are discussed. The predictions obtained by the various methods are compared to provide an understanding of the performance differences between the ROM methods participating in the challenge. Where possible, comments are provided on insight gained into how geometric nonlinearity contributes to the nonlinear behavior of the benchmark system.

Dynamical systems are often subject to algebraic constraints in conjunction with their governing ordinary differential equations. In particular, multibody systems are commonly subject to configuration constraints that define kinematic compatibility between the motion of different bodies. A full-scale numerical simulation of such constrained problems is challenging, making reduced-order models (ROMs) of paramount importance. In this work, we show how to use spectral submanifolds (SSMs) to construct rigorous ROMs for mechanical systems with configuration constraints. These SSM-based ROMs enable the direct extraction of backbone curves and forced response curves and facilitate efficient bifurcation analysis. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this SSM-based reduction procedure on several examples of varying complexity, including nonlinear finite-element models of multibody systems. We also provide an open-source implementation of the proposed method that also contains all details of our numerical examples.

We show how spectral submanifold theory can be used to construct reduced-order models for harmonically excited mechanical systems with internal resonances. Efficient calculations of periodic and quasi-periodic responses with the reduced-order models are discussed in this paper and its companion, Part II, respectively. The dimension of a reduced-order model is determined by the number of modes involved in the internal resonance, independently of the dimension of the full system. The periodic responses of the full system are obtained as equilibria of the reduced-order model on spectral submanifolds. The forced response curve of periodic orbits then becomes a manifold of equilibria, which can be easily extracted using parameter continuation. To demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the reduction, we compute the forced response curves of several high-dimensional nonlinear mechanical systems, including the finite-element models of a von Kármán beam and a plate.