Response Behaviors of a Harmonically Excited Impact System

Nonlinear behaviors of a barge/platform system under harmonic excitations are examined. The system is modeled as an impact system by combining a linear system inside the platform and impacting boundaries as the platform. The impact system is found to exhibit various types of responses. including harmonic, subharmonic, and highly nonlinear motions such as chaos. The sensitivity of the responses to variations in system, excitation and initial conditions are examined using direct numerical simulations, and the effect of energy dissipation occurring upon the impacting is observed. The conditions for the existence of chaotic and periodic responses are identified via parametric analysis, and the parametric maps are provided as a controlling space. Probabilistic properties of the chaotic motions of the impact system upon initial perturbations are also verified.