Hybrid nonlinear energy sink for vibration suppression of truss-hinged deployable arms considering locking-device nonlinearity

To address the slow attenuation of low-frequency vibrations in the large space truss hinged deployable arm (THDA) and the difficulty in characterizing nonlinear dynamics caused by the locking device, this paper proposes a hybrid nonlinear energy sink (NES) vibration suppression scheme. The THDA locking device is modeled as an equivalent NES (ENES) and coupled with an attached NES (ANES) to establish a refined nonlinear dynamic model. The study analyses parameter influences with only the ENES, the synergistic effect of the hybrid NES, and the evolution of the system’s equivalent fundamental frequency and resonance peak, followed by experimental validation. Results show that, with only the ENES, increasing damping enhances energy dissipation and, under specific excitation conditions, activates an efficient nonlinear energy transfer channel. The ENES linear stiffness has a dual effect: low stiffness promotes dissipation, whereas excessive stiffness degrades suppression and shifts the optimal range of operation. ANES compensates for ENES deficiency under high stiffness and improves overall vibration reduction. Furthermore, NES alters the equivalent fundamental frequency, whose evolution is governed by excitation load, preload, and ANES parameters. Parameter variations reconstruct the system’s equivalent dynamics, shifting the resonance peak, while peak attenuation mainly stems from the NES-induced strongly modulated response (SMR) mechanism. This study provides a theoretical basis and engineering reference for refined modeling and NES-based vibration suppression of the THDA.