Analysis of curved beams using a new differential transformation based curved beam element

Differential transformation method is used to obtain the shape functions for nodal variables of an arbitrarily non-uniform curved beam element including the effects of shear deformation considering axially functionally graded material. The proposed shape functions depend on the variations in cross-sectional area, moment of inertia, curvature and material properties along the axis of the curved beam element. The static and free vibration of axially functionally graded tapered curved beams including shear deformation and rotary inertia are studied through solving several examples. Numerical results are presented for circular, parabolic, catenary, elliptic and sinusoidal beams (both forms—prime and quadratic) with hinged-hinged, hinged-clamped and clamped-clamped and clamped-free end restraints. Three general taper types (depth taper, breadth taper and square taper) for rectangular cross section are studied. Out of plane vibration is studied and the lowest natural frequencies are calculated and compared with the published results. Out of plane buckling is investigated for circular beams due to radial load.     

Geometric nonlinear dynamic analysis of curved beams using curved beam element

Instead of using the previous straight beam element to approximate the curved beam,in this paper,a curvilinear coordinate is employed to describe the deformations,and a new curved beam element is proposed to model the curved beam.Based on exact nonlinear strain-displacement relation,virtual work principle is used to derive dynamic equations for a rotating curved beam,with the effects of axial extensibility,shear deformation and rotary inertia taken into account.The constant matrices are solved numerically utilizing the Gauss quadrature integration method.Newmark and Newton-Raphson iteration methods are adopted to solve the differential equations of the rigid-flexible coupling system.The present results are compared with those obtained by commercial programs to validate the present finite method.In order to further illustrate the convergence and efficiency characteristics of the present modeling and computation formulation,comparison of the results of the present formulation with those of the ADAMS software are made.Furthermore,the present results obtained from linear formulation are compared with those from nonlinear formulation,and the special dynamic characteristics of the curved beam are concluded by comparison with those of the straight beam.     

A general super element for a curved beam

Corrugated panels have gained considerable popularity in a range of engineering applications, particularly in morphing skin applications. The optimum design of these structures needs simple models of the corrugated panels that may be incorporated into multi-disciplinary system models. Considering the geometric and mechanical properties of the corrugated panel, a generic super element of a corrugated core unit cell with elastomeric coating for morphing structures is investigated in this paper. The super element captures the small deformation of a 2D thin curved beam with variable curvature and is based on an exact analytical equivalent model which avoids any homogenization assumption. The stiffness matrix of a general curved beam element for a corrugated unit cell with elastomeric coating is derived. Different geometries are investigated to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the presented super element. The super element uses the geometric and mechanical properties of the panel as variables that may be applied for further topology optimization studies. The parametric studies of different corrugation shapes demonstrate the suitability of the proposed super element for application in further detailed design investigations.     

Suggested new element reference frame for dynamic analysis of marine cables

Nonlinear Dynamics - The dynamics of marine cables are efficiently expressed using the lumped-mass model, which divides the cable into finite elements, on each of which a reference frame is fixed...     

The curved beam element and its convergence rate

The quasi-conforming element of the curved beam and shallow curved beam is given in this paper. Numerical examples illustrate that the quasi-conforming elements of the curved beam and shallow curved beam which is used to approximate the curved beam have better accuracy than the straight beam element. The curved beam element constructed by displacement method can not satisfy rigid body motion condition and the very fine grids have to be used in order to satisfy rigid body motion condition approximately.In this paper it is proved that the straight beam element and the quasi-conforming element of the curved beam and shallow curved beam, when element size is reduced infinitely, have convergence rate with the same order O(l²) and when regular elements are used l is the element length.The Project Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Geometrically exact curved beam element using internal force field defined in deformed configuration

This paper presents a study on the development of high-performance finite elements for geometrically nonlinear analysis of frame structures with curved members. Based on the geometrically exact beam theory, a highly efficient and accurate mixed finite element is developed. A new approach is proposed for constructing the independent internal force field by including major terms satisfying equilibrium conditions in the deformed configuration. An element-level equilibrium iteration procedure is employed for the condensation of element internal degrees of freedom during the nonlinear solution. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the excellent performance of the element developed, and it is shown that even when each structural member is modelled with just one element, accurate solutions can still be achieved.     

Modeling and dynamics analysis of helical spring under compression using a curved beam element with consideration on contact between its coils

Helical springs are indispensable elements in mechanical engineering. This paper investigates helical springs subjected to axial loads under different dynamic conditions. The mechanical system, composed of a helical spring and two blocks, is considered and analyzed. Multibody system dynamics theory is applied to model the system, where the spring is modeled by Euler–Bernoulli curved beam elements based on an absolute nodal coordinate formulation. Compared with previous studies, contact between the coils of spring is considered here. A three-dimensional beam-to-beam contact model is presented to describe the interaction between the spring coils. Numerical analysis provides details such as spring stiffness, static and dynamic stress for helical spring under compression. All these results are available in design of helical springs.     

A new super convergent thin walled composite beam element for analysis of box beam structures

In this paper, a new composite thin wall beam element of arbitrary cross-section with open or closed contour is developed. The formulation incorporates the effect of elastic coupling, restrained warping, transverse shear deformation associated with thin walled composite structures. A first order shear deformation theory is considered with the beam deformation expressed in terms of axial, spanwise and chordwise bending, corresponding shears and twist. The formulated locking free element uses higher order interpolating polynomial obtained by solving static part of the coupled governing differential equations. The formulated element has super convergent properties as it gives the exact elemental stiffness matrix. Static and free vibration analyses are performed for various beam configuration and compared with experimental and numerical results available in current literature. Good correlation is observed in all cases with extremely small system size. The formulated element is used to study the wave propagation behavior in box beams subjected to high frequency loading such as impact. Simultaneous existence of various propagating modes are graphically captured. Here the effect of transverse shear on wave propagation characteristics in axial and transverse directions are investigated for different ply layup sequences.     

钢管混凝土拱稳定分析的三维退化层合曲梁单元

为计算钢管混凝土拱的屈曲荷载,本文在文[1]三维退化梁单元的基础上,采用等效数值积分法,构造,出120－20结点三维退化层合曲梁单元,并考虑几何非线性影响,给出用于层合梁或拱线弹性稳定性分析的有限元列式,最后,以绍兴轻纺大桥为工程背景,计算出轻纺大枯钢管混凝土拱面内及面外屈曲的稳定系数。     

On the elastoplastic cyclic analysis of plane beam structures using a flexibility-based finite element approach

This paper presents the extension of a flexibility-based large increment method (LIM) for the case of cyclic loading. In the last few years, LIM has been successfully tested for solving a range of non-linear structural problems involving elastoplastic material models under monotonic loading. In these analyses, the force-based LIM algorithm provided robust solutions and significant computational savings compared to the displacement-based finite element approach by using fewer elements and integration points. Although in cyclic analysis a step-by-step solution procedure has to be adopted to account for the plastic history, LIM will still have many advantages over the traditional finite element method. Before going into the basic idea of this extension, a brief discussion regarding LIM governing equations is presented followed by the proposed solution procedure. Next, the formulation is specified for the treatment of the elastic perfectly plastic beam element. The local stage for the beam behavior is discussed in detail and the required improvement for the LIM methodology is described. Illustrative truss and beam examples are presented for different non-linear material models. The results are compared with those obtained from a standard displacement method and again highlight the potential benefits of the proposed flexibility-based approach.     

Detection of crack location using cracked beam element method for structural analysis

The local flexibility introduced by cracks changes the dynamic behavior of the structure and, by examining this change, crack position and magnitude can be identified. In order to model the structure for FEM analysis, a special finite element for a cracked Timoshenko beam is developed. Shape functions for rotational and translational displacements are used to obtain the consistent mass matrix for the cracked beam element. Effect of the crack on the stiffness matrix and consistent mass matrix is investigated. Proposed is a procedure for identifying cracks in structures using modal test data.     

Vibration band gap analysis of a new periodic beam model using GDQR method

In this study, a new periodic beam model is introduced. This beam consists of the concentrated rigid masses and tapered beam elements with linearly variable width. The theoretical equations are derived by employing the Euler-Bernoulli beam and the Bloch–Floquet theorem and then solved using the generalized differential quadrature rule method to calculate the first two band gaps. The effects of the mass, mass moment of inertia and taper ratio on the widths and central frequencies of the first two band gaps are investigated. Results show that the wide band gaps at low frequency ranges can be obtained by changing the geometrical parameters. This is of interest for different applications of the band gap phenomenon such as broadband piezoelectric energy harvesting. Finally, the finite element simulation (ANSYS software) is used to validate the analytical method and good agreement is found.     

Design of a metastructure for vibration isolation with quasi-zero-stiffness characteristics using bistable curved beam

Nonlinear Dynamics - This work designs and analyzes a metastructure-based vibration isolation model to improve small-scale equipment's isolation effectiveness under low-frequency excitations....     

Elastodynamic analysis of a plane weakened by several cracks

The stress fields in an infinite plane containing Volterra type climb and glide edge dislocations under time-harmonic excitation are derived. The dislocation solutions are utilized to formulate integral equations for dislocation density functions on the surfaces of smooth cracks. The integral equations are of Cauchy singular type which are solved numerically for several different cases of crack configurations and arrangements. The results are used to evaluate modes I and II stress intensity factors for multiple smooth cracks.     

Elastodynamic analysis of inhomogeneous anisotropic bodies

The integral equation method is presented for elastodynamic problems of inhomogeneous anisotropic bodies. Since fundamental solutions are not available for general inhomogeneous anisotropic media, we employ the fundamental solution for homogeneous elastostatics. The terms induced by material inhomogeneity and inertia force are regarded as body forces in elastostatics, and evaluated in the form of volume integrals. The scattering problems of elastic waves by inhomogeneous anisotropic inclusions are investigated for some test cases. Numerical results show the significant effects of inhomogeneity and anisotropy of materials on wave propagations.     

Focusing of an ultrasonic beam by a curved interface

We calculate the wavefields near the caustics, and their cusps, formed when a well collimated, ultrasonic beam scatters from a concave fluid-solid interface. The radius of curvature of the interface is assumed to be sufficiently large and the angle of incidence sufficiently small that only reflection and transmission of the beam need be considered. The incident beam is modeled as a two-dimensional wavefield whose initial profile is rectangular. The aperture is assumed to be sufficiently large (in wavelengths) that a well collimated beam is radiated, and the interface is assumed to lie close enough to the aperture that it is struck by a wavefield that has not yet evolved into a cylindrical wave. The scattered wavefields are represented as multiple integrals and are evaluated using a combination of asymptotic and numerical analysis. Special attention is given to the sometimes competing effects of the shadow boundary of each scattered beam with its corresponding caustic, and cusp if one is formed.     

一种薄壳厚壳通用的轴对称曲壳单元

有限元法分析轴对称壳体时，常需区分薄壳和厚壳并选用不同的单元，给计算带来不便．为此，通过对现有的轴对称壳体单元的研究，基于加权残值法，将广义协调条件引入剪应变场，构造了一种挠度和转角各自独立的新型轴对称曲壳单元．算例结果表明，新单元具有很高的精度，既可用于厚壳，也可用于薄壳．该单元可用于轴对称壳体结构的计算分析．     

Identification of the tension force in cables with insulators

Meccanica - The present paper explores two approaches which, based on the measurement of the two first natural frequencies, allow the identification of the tension force in cables with insulators....