Frequency Response and Jump Avoidance in a Nonlinear Passive Engine Mount

This paper explores a model for a nonlinear one-degree of freedom passive vibration isolator system, known as a smart engine mount. Nonlinearities are employed to analyze and possibly improve the behavior of the optimal linear mount. Nonlinear damping and stiffness rates of the isolator have interacting effects on the dynamic behavior of the mount. The frequency response of the system is obtained using the averaging perturbation method, and a parametric analysis shows that the effect of nonlinear stiffness rate on frequency response is opposite to that of the nonlinear damping rate. Stability of the steady state periodic response has also been analyzed. Jump avoidance criteria are introduced, and the conditions for jump avoidance are studied. Closed form solutions for the absolute acceleration and relative displacement frequency responses are derived, since they are essential to use of the RMS optimization method.