Dynamic stability in parametric resonance of axially accelerating viscoelastic Timoshenko beams

This paper investigates dynamic stability of an axially accelerating viscoelastic beam undergoing parametric resonance. The effects of shear deformation and rotary inertia are taken into account by the Timoshenko thick beam theory. The beam material obeys the Kelvin model in which the material time derivative is used. The axial speed is characterized as a simple harmonic variation about the constant mean speed. The governing partial-differential equations are derived from Newton's second law, Euler's angular momentum principle, and the constitutive relation. The method of multiple scales is applied to the equations to establish the solvability conditions in summation and principal parametric resonances. The sufficient and necessary condition of the stability is derived from the Routh-Hurvitz criterion. Some numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effects of related parameters on the stability boundaries. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.