Design of a novel buckling-type quasi-zero stiffness isolator

Based on the significant geometric nonlinearity associated with large deformations in beams, this paper presents the design of a buckling-type quasi-zero stiffness (BQZS) isolator using slender beams with positive and negative stiffness. This design achieves a characteristic output of nonlinear load-bearing combined with linear stiffness. The elliptic integral method is employed to solve the mechanical equations of the large deformation beams. Through numerical simulations and theoretical calculations, the mechanical properties of the large deformation beams are obtained. A prototype was designed for validation, and its manufacturing and experimental studies are presented. The results demonstrate that the designed BQZS isolator effectively attenuates the system’s vibration response, achieving a 95% reduction at 5 Hz vibration excitation. Additionally, the natural frequency of the isolator with BQZS is less than 1 Hz.