EQUILIBRIUM OF AN INVERTED MATHEMATICAL DOUBLE-LINK PENDULUM WITH A FOLLOWER FORCE

A discrete model of an elastic pendulum with a follower force is studied. This model is an inverted mathematical two-link pendulum with viscoelastic hinges. It is shown that divergent bifurcations are possible for some absolute values of the follower force and the stiffness of the restraint of the pendulum's upper end. As a result, the vertical position of the equilibrium becomes unstable and two new nonvertical stable equilibrium states (fork bifurcation) occur.