On the functional form of a nonlinear vibration absorber

Due to the frequency–energy dependence of nonlinear oscillations, nonlinear dynamical absorbers present interesting properties for mitigating unwanted vibrations in mechanical systems. Unlike the tuned mass damper, the functional form of a nonlinear absorber is not known a priori and must be determined. This short note addresses this issue when a light-weight nonlinear absorber is attached to a nonlinear primary structure. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the determination of an adequate functional form may be directly linked to the frequency–energy dependence of the primary structure.