Study of piecewise linear isolator mounted on nonproportional damped structures under liftoff preload

A procedure to predict the steady-state response of a piecewise linear attachment mounted on a multi-degree-of-freedom system with non-proportional damping is described in this paper. Numerical simulation of a lumped mass model of satellite with a piecewise linear isolator connected payload is presented as a demonstration. Parametric study with respect to liftoff acceleration preload, clearance size of the isolator and the excitation level from the orbiter is carried. Results show that the system demonstrates strong nonlinear character when the liftoff preload and excitation amplitude are both low and the clearance is large.