Nonlinear spring made from many different linear springs in series?

[MechaNick]

Can I create a nonlinear spring, for a nonlinear oscillator, by putting many linear springs in series and parallel?

 

[Orodruin]

No. Since each spring has linear response, the overall response will be linear.

 

[tech99]

However, if individual series springs are allowed to reach their end-stops, it seems a good way of tailoring a non linear response. Rather like the log-amp in electronics.

 

[MechaNick]

So individual springs must reach a full compression? So eben the cone-shaped springs are only nonlinear if compressed maximally?

 

[anorlunda]

You may find nonlinearities even without hard stops. But the actual nature of the nonlinearity would depend strongly on the shape and the materials. It would be hard to say anything general about them.

So if you want to make a nonlinear spring with specified properties, that is not much help.

 

[MechaNick]

Is it really that complex? I mean it is true that nonlinearities are mathematically tedious and often almost unsolvable, but aren't there any experiences or rough maths for something like this? The basic problem is how must a spring look in order to create an anharmonic oscillator?

 

[berkeman]

Summary:: Nonlinear spring by creating different springs a at different ks?

Can I create a nonlinear spring, for a nonlinear oscillator

I did a Google search on nonlinear spring and got several good hits, including this one:

https://www.acxesspring.com/non-linear-springs.html

 

[MechaNick]

Yes, but they are exactly representing the model I posed. It is a series of springs. And they must block in order to become nonlinear.

 

[Orodruin]

I mean, in reality, most springs will be non-linear. It is just that those non-linearities are usually assumed to be small and often are to good approximation.

 

[MechaNick]

Yes, it is said that all oscillators are probably containing some nonlinearity. But the thing is that they aren't measurable until one reaches a certain amplitude. In order to reduce that amplitude I thought I can create a cone shaped spring analogy by putting several linear springs in series. Like this: