On the undamped natural frequencies and mode shapes of a finite-element model of the cat eardrum

This paper presents a three-dimensional finite-element model of the cat eardrum which includes inertial effects. The model is implemented using a hierarchical modeling scheme which permits the mesh resolution to be varied. The static behavior of the model is calculated as a function of mesh resolution in order to check the validity of an earlier model. The first six undamped natural frequencies, and the corresponding modal vibration patterns, are then calculated. They are found to lie between about 1.8 and 3.2 kHz for the standard values chosen for the model parameters. The effects on the natural frequencies of varying seven parameters of the model are described.     

Two-dimensional analysis of natural frequencies and mode shapes of a wide beam: Application to the determination of mechanical characteristics of viscoelastic materials

The theory of plane elastodynamics is used to provide a simple method for calculating the natural frequencies and the normal mode shapes of a wide rectangular beam. The boundary conditions at both ends are prescribed in a mean-value sense. It is shown that the elementary (vibrating string) beam theory turns out to be an approximation of the theoretical model; the results obtained agree with those given by the Love theory. The method enables one to predict all frequency branches in terms of the width-to-length ratio, by comparatively simple calculations, in contrast to the situation when sufficiently elaborate one-dimensional theories are used. A second application is the determination of the complex Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio for viscoelastic materials.     

On the natural frequencies and mode shapes of a multispan Timoshenko beam carrying a number of various concentrated elements

The purpose of this paper is to utilize the numerical assembly method (NAM) to determine the exact natural frequencies and mode shapes of the multispan Timoshenko beam carrying a number of various concentrated elements including point masses, rotary inertias, linear springs, rotational springs and spring–mass systems. First, the coefficient matrices for an intermediate pinned support, an intermediate concentrated element, left- and right-end support of a Timoshenko beam are derived. Next, the overall coefficient matrix for the whole structural system is obtained using the numerical assembly technique of the finite element method. Finally, the exact natural frequencies and the associated mode shapes of the vibrating system are determined by equating the determinant of the last overall coefficient matrix to zero and substituting the corresponding values of integration constants into the associated eigenfunctions, respectively. The effects of distribution of in-span pinned supports and various concentrated elements on the dynamic characteristics of the Timoshenko beam are also studied.     

Natural frequencies and mode shapes of initially curved carbon nanotube resonators under electric excitation

Estimating accurately the natural frequencies of electrically actuated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been an active research subject over the past few years. Despite the importance of the topic, robust knowledge is still missing in the understanding of the role of various physical parameters affecting the natural frequencies, such as the stretching of doubly clamped CNTs, the DC electrostatic force, and the initial curvature of slack CNTs. In this investigation, we use a 2D nonlinear curved beam model in the form of an arch to simulate the coupled in-plane and out-of-plane motions of a CNT with curvature. We calculate the variation of its natural frequencies and mode shapes with the level of slackness and the DC electrostatic load. Towards this end, we derive a reduced-order model using a multimode Galerkin procedure. We show various scenarios of mode crossing and mode veering as the levels of slackness and DC load are varied. Finally, we tackle the forced vibration problem of a curved CNT when actuated by small DC and AC loads. The results show the transfer of energy among the vibration modes involved in the veering phenomenon.     

An experimental and theoretical investigation of the frequencies and mode shapes of axisymmetric shell models

The use of doubly curved isoparametric elements in a finite element analysis enabled successful prediction to be made of the natural frequencies and mode shapes of axisymmetric shell models. The models chosen were in the form of a natural draught cooling tower, part of a large hemispherical dome and part of a smaller hemispherical dome, and all were formed from thermoplastic materials. Several natural frequencies and mode shapes were determined experimentally for all the models. The theoretical predictions compared very favourably with the experimental results. For example in the case of the cooling tower model the lowest frequency mode, with four nodal diameters and one nodal circle, was predicted to occur at 19·99 H, and experimentally it was 19·4 H. The effect of numerical results of the choice of the number of elements and hence the number of degrees of freedom was demonstrated. The use of five elements on the cooling tower model gave a difference between experimental and theoretical results of less than 3%. In representing the domes by three, five and six elements the deployment of more degrees of freedom led to a significant improvement in the results. It was also shown that some functional modelling could be misleading owing to deficiencies occurring during the incorporation of geometric and boundary conditions at the formulation stage.     

Free vibration analysis of continuous orthotropic bridge decks

While studies of the free vibration problem of single span bridge slabs have been undertaken by a number of authors, literature on continuous span orthotropic bridge slabs is rather scarce. Furthermore, general continuous bridge deck problems have been dealt with by approximate methods only for specific types of boundary conditions. In this paper an attempt is made to formulate a general analytical solution which would be applicable to all types of boundary conditions. The solution developed is discussed here with special reference to “bridge type” boundary conditions. The analysis is based on the ordinary theory of thin plates and is formulated for linearly elastic materials with isotropic or orthotropic properties. A Levy-type series solution is employed and the problem of free vibration analysis of continuous isotropic and orthotropic bridge slabs is solved by using the principle of superposition. The solution is tested for convergence by varying the number of terms in the solution and the convergence is found to be excellent. Results obtained for continuous isotropic bridge decks are compared with published solutions and close agreements are found. For orthotropic bridge decks a similar comparison was not possible because of a lack of published results in the technical literature.     

Resonance frequencies and mode shapes of elastically restrained,prestressed annular plates attached together by flexible cores

The free vibrations of annular plates attached together by flexible cores are studied analytically. Both axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric vibrations are considered. The plates are elastically constrained against rotation at the inner and outer edges. At the same time, the plates are subjected to initial radial tensions. Detailed analysis is worked out for systems consisting of five through two identical plates with identical boundary conditions and a uniform radial tension. General frequency equations and mode shapes are developed. The first nine eigenvalues are calculated for a plate system having identically constrained inside and outside edges and are tabulated as functions of the initial tension parameter, the elastic edge constraint parameter and the ratio of inner to outer radius. The orthogonality property of the mode function is also discussed.     

Natural frequencies and mode shapes of flexural vibration of plates: laser-interferometry detection and solutions by Ritz's method

This paper presents an experimental and theoretical study of flexural symmetric vibration modes of a linear elastic plate. A laser interferometer is used as detector of the free vibration of a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped aluminium plate. The vibration spectrum gives the lowest natural frequencies of the sample. Assumption that the vibration of the plates may be described by some approximate theories is proven to be inconsistent. The Ritz method, with products of powers of the co-ordinates as basis functions, is applied to obtain the lowest flexural natural frequencies. Three-dimensional solutions are obtained, unlike those provided by simpler theories. The experimental results are compared with the numerical predictions and a good agreement is obtained. Finally, forced motion is applied to the centre of the plate and the out-of-plane and in-plane displacement components for the first symmetric mode are measured. A good fit of the calculated values to the experimental values is found.     

Radial breathing mode frequencies of carbon nanotubes for determination of their diameters

In this paper, exact formulas are obtained for the radial breathing mode (RBM) frequencies of triple-walled carbon nanotubes (TWCNTs) using symbolic package in MAPLE software. For this purpose, TWCNT is considered as triple concentric elastic thin cylindrical shells, which are coupled through van der Waals (vdW) forces between two adjacent tubes. Lennard–Jones potential is used to calculate the vdW forces between adjacent tubes. Then, explicit formulas for RBM frequencies of single-walled (SW), and double-walled (DW) CNTs have been deduced from TWCNT formulas that show an excellent agreement with the available experimental results and the other theoretical model results. The advantage of this analytical approach is that the elastic shell model considers all degrees of freedom in the vibrational analysis of CNTs. To demonstrate the accuracy of this work, the RBM frequencies of different multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are compared with the available experimental or atomistic results with relative errors of less than 1.5%. To illustrate the application of this approach, the diameters of DWCNTs are obtained from their RBM frequencies which show an excellent agreement with the available experimental results. Also, this approach can be used to determine the diameters of the TWCNTs and MWCNTs. The influence of changing the geometrical and mechanical parameters of a TWCNT on its RBM frequencies has been investigated, too.     

An exact solution for the natural frequencies and mode shapes of an immersed elastically restrained wedge beam carrying an eccentric tip mass with mass moment of inertia

In general, the exact solutions for natural frequencies and mode shapes of non-uniform beams are obtainable only for a few types such as wedge beams. However, the exact solution for the natural frequencies and mode shapes of an immersed wedge beam is not obtained yet. This is because, due to the “added mass” of water, the mass density of the immersed part of the beam is different from its emerged part. The objective of this paper is to present some information for this problem. First, the displacement functions for the immersed part and emerged part of the wedge beam are derived. Next, the force (and moment) equilibrium conditions and the deflection compatibility conditions for the two parts are imposed to establish a set of simultaneous equations with eight integration constants as the unknowns. Equating to zero the coefficient determinant one obtains the frequency equation, and solving the last equation one obtains the natural frequencies of the immersed wedge beam. From the last natural frequencies and the above-mentioned simultaneous equations, one may determine all the eight integration constants and, in turn, the corresponding mode shapes. All the analytical solutions are compared with the numerical ones obtained from the finite element method and good agreement is achieved. The formulation of this paper is available for the fully or partially immersed doubly tapered beams with square, rectangular or circular cross-sections. The taper ratio for width and that for depth may also be equal or unequal.     

A simplified method for the free vibration and flutter analysis of bridge decks

A simplified method for the free vibration and flutter analysis of bridge decks is presented. Bending-torsion coupled beam theory with warping stiffness included is used in the structural idealization of bridge decks in order to derive explicit formulae for natural frequencies and mode shapes. These are used to perform the flutter analysis. The time-dependent aerodynamic forces are modelled using Theodorsen type flat plate theory. Expressions for generalized mass, generalized stiffness and generalized aerodynamic force terms are derived in compact explicit form. The flutter problem is then formulated by summing algebraically the analytical expressions for generalized mass, generalized stiffness and generalized aerodynamic forces, and the associated flutter determinant is expanded in analytical form. Finally, the flutter speed and flutter frequency are thereby determined by using a standard root finding procedure. The method is demonstrated by numerical results. This is followed by some concluding remarks.     

On mode shapes of a stability problem

This paper presents data of mode shapes of some stable and unstable modes of a free-free beam under direction controlled thrusts. These mode shapes are pertinent in understanding this basic problem and hitherto were not available in the literature. It has been found that the node number of the mode shape corresponding to the first divergence mode increases with the magnitude of the thrust. The main feature of the solution method is given. The instability of a free-free beam under a thrust fixed in direction is pointed out.     

Localized mode frequencies of system substrate-film

The character of atomic vibrations in the system substrate-film is discussed in detail, when both sub-systems have a structure of a simple cubic lattice with interactions only between the nearest neighbours. The conditions of rotational invariance are satisfied at the boundary of the materials. The problem is solved numerically for a film formed by 24 layers and graphically for a single adsorbed layer of atoms placed on a substrate.     

The effects of large vibration amplitudes on the axisymmetric mode shapes and natural frequencies of clamped thin isotropic circular plates. Part I: iterative and explicit analytical solution for non-linear transverse vibrations

The effects of large vibration amplitudes on the first two axisymmetric mode shapes of clamped thin isotropic circular plates are examined. The theoretical model based on Hamilton's principle and spectral analysis developed previously by Benamar et al. for clamped-clamped beams and fully clamped rectangular plates is adapted to the case of circular plates using a basis of Bessel's functions. The model effectively reduces the large-amplitude free vibration problem to the solution of a set of non-linear algebraic equations. Numerical results are given for the first and second axisymmetric non-linear mode shapes for a wide range of vibration amplitudes. For each value of the vibration amplitude considered, the corresponding contributions of the basic functions defining the non-linear transverse displacement function and the associated non-linear frequency are given. The non-linear frequencies associated to the fundamental non-linear mode shape predicted by the present model were compared with numerical results from the available published literature and a good agreement was found. The non-linear mode shapes exhibit higher bending stresses near to the clamped edge at large deflections, compared with those predicted by linear theory. In order to obtain explicit analytical solutions for the first two non-linear axisymmetric mode shapes of clamped circular plates, which are expected to be very useful in engineering applications and in further analytical developments, the improved version of the semi-analytical model developed by El Kadiri et al. for beams and rectangular plates, has been adapted to the case of clamped circular plates, leading to explicit expressions for the higher basic function contributions, which are shown to be in a good agreement with the iterative solutions, for maximum non-dimensional vibration amplitude values of 0.5 and 0.44 for the first and second axisymmetric non-linear mode shapes, respectively.     

Analytical and experimental determination of natural frequencies of double-span beams of non-uniform cross-section and with elastic end constraints

This study deals with the analytical determinations of the fundamental natural frequency of transverse vibrations of a double-span beam with a discontinuous moment of inertia and both ends elastically restrained against rotation. The presence of masses and axial forces is also considered. Comparison of analytical and experimental results is presented as a function of the governing geometric and mechanical parameters. Good agreement is found in all cases from an engineering point of view.     

正交异性钢桥面板声发射波三维谱元法模拟及损伤定位*

针对大跨度桥梁正交异性钢桥面板的疲劳损伤评估与结构健康监测需求,开展基于声发射波场谱元法模拟的大型复杂板类结构损伤定位研究。采用Legendre高阶插值三维时域谱元法模拟声发射波在正交异性钢桥面板中的传播过程,验证了其内部显著的反射、衍射和频散现象,并代替人工预断铅实测试验获得大量声发射数据。然后,利用赤池信息准则判定声发射波到达各传感器的时间,通过高斯过程回归建立到达时差与声发射源位置的关系模型,用于未知损伤的定位监测。数值模型实验结果表明,赤池信息准则和高斯过程回归改进的时差图法在正交异性钢桥面板中的平均定位误差为37.3 mm(25 dB信噪比工况),平板的定位精度高于U肋。谱元法模拟有望代替繁琐的预断铅实测试验,提升声发射时差图系列损伤定位方法的实用性。     

Pressure wave excitation of natural flame frequencies

Theoretical investigations by McIntosh predicted the existence of a high-frequency natural resonance in premixed flames. In this work we examine this phenomenon using numerical techniques and predict the resonance frequency for commonly used hydrocarbon flames. It is found that resonance occurs when the width of the pressure pulse is similar to the the width of the flame region. The resonance frequency is found to increase with the burning velocity and decrease with the burnt temperature.