Prediction of non-chaotic motion of the elastic system with small stiffness

Dynamic stability in the large is considered subject to the vibration protecting mechanisms (VPMs) containing elastic links with “negative” stiffness. This analysis plays an important role in the estimation of an opportunity for improvement of vibration protection in the almost insuperable infra-low-frequency band employing these mechanisms. The Lyapunov largest exponent and Poincaré map of phase trajectories methods have been used with this purpose in mind. Numerical results demonstrate a visualization indicating the effectiveness of the methods in comparing stiffness control mechanisms (SCMs) of different types in terms of their predisposition to chaotic motion as well as to analyze dynamic stability of the VPMs with small (quasi-zero) stiffness. Also, the methods have been applied to predict behavior of controlled suspension mostly used for driver seats and modified with the help of the SCM. A criterion is formulated of dynamic stability of modified suspension.