Assessment of solution accuracy using nonlinear experimental substructure coupling

Nonlinear substructuring techniques have been improved over the years to account for complex phenomena in industrial applications and ensure a more accurate design and a longer lifecycle. The attention is focused on those cases in which the joints represent the main source of nonlinearity. The authors proposed a Nonlinear Coupling Procedure (NLCP) in the modal domain to estimate the nonlinear dynamics of those systems such that the connected subsystems are assumed to be linear and the nonlinear connections are regarded as substructures themselves. In the present work, the NLCP is performed to estimate the nonlinear dynamics of an assembled system composed of two beams connected through two nonlinear connecting elements. The dynamics of each component is measured to perform the NLCP using just experimental models. The results of the experimental NLCP are compared to the data measured on the assembled system. Also, the accuracy of the result obtained from the experimental tests is computed.