Dynamic combination resonance characteristics of doubly curved panels subjected to non-uniform tensile edge loading with damping

The dynamic instability of doubly curved panels, subjected to non-uniform tensile in-plane harmonic edge loading $P(t)=P_s+P_d\;{\cos}{\Omega}t$ is investigated. The present work deals with the problem of the occurrence of combination resonances in contrast to simple resonances in parametrically excited doubly curved panels. Analytical expressions for the instability regions are obtained at ${\Omega}={\omega}_m+{\omega}_n$, (${\Omega}$ is the excitation frequency and ${\omega}_m$ and ${\omega}_n$ are the natural frequencies of the system) by using the method of multiple scales. It is shown that, besides the principal instability region at ${\Omega}=2{\omega}_1$, where ${\omega}_1$ is the fundamental frequency, other cases of ${\Omega}={\omega}_m+{\omega}_n$, related to other modes, can be of major importance and yield a significantly enlarged instability region. The effects of edge loading, curvature, damping and the static load factor on dynamic instability behavior of simply supported doubly curved panels are studied. The results show that under localized edge loading, combination resonance zones are as important as simple resonance zones. The effects of damping show that there is a finite critical value of the dynamic load factor for each instability region below which the curved panels cannot become dynamically unstable. This example of simultaneous excitation of two modes, each oscillating steadily at its own natural frequency, may be of considerable interest in vibration testing of actual structures.