Abstract

This paper presents a study on the nonlinear steady state response of a slender beam partially immersed in a fluid and carrying an intermediate mass. The model is developed based on the large deformation theory with the constraint of inextensible beam, which is valid for most engineering structures. The Lagrangian dynamics in conjunction with the assumed mode method is utilized in deriving the non-linear unimodal temporal equation of motion. The distributed and concentrated sinusoidal loads are accounted for in a consistent manner using the assumed mode method. The non-linear equation of motion is, analytically, solved using the single term harmonic balance (SHB) and the two terms harmonic balance (2HB) methods. The stability of the system, under various loading conditions, is investigated. The results are presented, discussed and some conclusions on the partially immersed beam nonlinear dynamics are extracted.