Linear and non-linear vibrations of fluid-filled hollow microcantilevers interacting with small particles

Linear and non-linear vibrations of a U-shaped hollow microcantilever beam filled with fluid and interacting with a small particle are investigated. The microfluidic device is assumed to be subjected to internal flowing fluid carrying a buoyant mass. The equations of motion are derived via extended Hamilton's principle and by using Euler-Bernoulli beam theory retaining geometric and inertial non-linearities. A reduced-order model is obtained applying Galerkin's method and solved by using a pseudo arc-length continuation and collocation scheme to perform bifurcation analysis and obtain frequency response curves. Direct time integration of the equations of motion has also been performed by using Adams-Moulton method to obtain time histories and analyze transient cantilever-particle interactions in depth. It is shown that exploiting near resonant non-linear behavior of the microcantilever could potentially yield enhanced sensor metrics. This is found to be due to the transitions that occur as a matter of particle movement near the saddle-node bifurcation points of the coupled system that lead to jumps between coexisting stable attractors. •Non-linear vibrations of a fluid filled hollow microcantilever beam are studied in time and frequency domains.•Transient vibrations of the cantilever subjected to flowing particle have been investigated.•It is shown that the particle movement inside the cantilever leads to jumps between coexisting stable attractors.•It is found that exploiting the near resonant non-linear vibrations of the microcantilever yields enhanced sensor metrics.