Experimental switching between coexisting attractors in the yoke–bell–clapper system

Abstract

This paper presents experimental switching between two attractors in the swinging bell. In the considered yoke–bell–clapper system, two coexisting solutions appear. In the first one, we observe a single impact between the bell and the clapper per one period of motion, and in the second solution, no impacts occur—no sound is produced. Based on the time-dependent stability margin method, we numerically detect parts of the trajectories where the system is most prone to perturbations. Using this knowledge, we experimentally investigate switching between attractors by applying the perturbation to the clapper. We show that we can easily enforce the change of attractor by properly timing the perturbation. The results prove that, based on the results from the time-dependent stability margin numerical method, we are able to effectively alter the wrong operation of the bell (lack of impact) to the correct operation (solution with impact). The analysis is conducted on the real-world mechanical system rather than paradigmatic examples. Therefore, it contributes to the subject of multistability and nonlinearity in engineering design. Novel, recently developed methods for analyzing multistable systems are successfully employed during the investigation. The paper shows that a complex phenomenon of multistability observed in the system, which is considered simple and undemanding from an engineering design point of view.