Analysis of a quarter car suspension based on a Kelvin–Voigt viscoelastic model with fractional-order derivative

Abstract

Abstract The dynamical analysis of a quarter car suspension based on the Kelvin-Voigt viscoelastic model with fractional order derivative is analytically and numerically studied in this paper. Depending on the non-dimensional quadratic stiffness parameter, the potential configuration associated with the system under study is possible to obtain monostable and, asymmetric bistable configurations. Thanks to the multiple time scale method, the effects of viscoelastic parameters on the vibration amplitude of the quarter car suspension model are analytically investigated and the numerical simulations confirmed the analytical results. Moreover, the vibration amplitude of the quarter car suspension model can display periodic and dissipative chaotic behaviors by varying the non-dimensional quadratic stiffness, the fractional-order, and the road profile parameters. One scroll and double scroll chaotic attractors are generated by varying the non-dimensional quadratic stiffness parameter. Finally, the threshold conditions for the appearance of homoclinic bifurcation (left well and right well) in the case of asymmetric bistable potential are investigated using Melnikov’s criterion. Melnikov’s predictions are validated numerically by using the basin of attraction of initial conditions. It is found that the decrease of fractional order contributes to increasing the regular motion domain up to a critical value of the fractional-order and after it, decreases rather.