Non-probabilistic interval analysis method for dynamic response analysis of nonlinear systems with uncertainty

Effects of uncertainties on the dynamic response of the nonlinear vibration systems with general form are investigated. Based on interval mathematics, modeling the uncertain parameters as interval numbers, a non-probabilistic interval analysis method, which estimates the range of the nonlinear dynamic response with the help of Taylor series expansion, is presented, where the partial derivatives of the dynamic response with respect to uncertain parameters ire considered to be interval numbers. The sensitivity matrices of dynamic response with the uncertain parameters are derived. For the presented method, only the bounds on uncertain parameters are needed, instead of probabilistic density distribution or statistical quantities. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the validity and feasibility of the presented method. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.