The dynamic analysis of nonuniformly pretwisted Timoshenko beams with elastic boundary conditions

The coupled governing differential equations and the general elastic boundary conditions for the coupled bending–bending forced vibration of a nonuniform pretwisted Timoshenko beam are derived by Hamilton's principle. The closed-form static solution for the general system is obtained. The relation between the static solution and the field transfer matrix is derived. Further, a simple and accurate modified transfer matrix method for studying the dynamic behavior of a Timoshenko beam with arbitrary pretwist is presented. The relation between the steady solution and the frequency equation is revealed. The systems of Rayleigh and Bernoulli–Euler beams can be easily examined by taking the corresponding limiting procedures. The results are compared with those in the literature. Finally, the effects of the shear deformation, the rotary inertia, the ratio of bending rigidities, and the pretwist angle on the natural frequencies are investigated.     

Coupled bending and torsional vibration of axially loaded thin-walled Timoshenko beams

A dynamic transfer matrix method of determining the natural frequencies and mode shapes of axially loaded thin-walled Timoshenko beams has been presented. In the analysis the effects of axial force, warping stiffness, shear deformation and rotary inertia are taken into account and a continuous model is used. The bending vibration is restricted to one direction. The dynamic transfer matrix is derived by directly solving the governing differential equations of motion for coupled bending and torsional vibration of axially loaded thin-walled Timoshenko beams. Two illustrative examples are worked out to show the effects of axial force, warping stiffness, shear deformation and rotary inertia on the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the thin-walled beams. Numerical results demonstrate the satisfactory accuracy and effectiveness of the presented method.     

A meshless approach for free transverse vibration of embedded single-walled nanotubes with arbitrary boundary conditions accounting for nonlocal effect

A single-walled nanotube structure embedded in an elastic matrix is simulated by the nonlocal Euler-Bernoulli, Timoshenko, and higher order beams. The beams are assumed to be elastically supported and attached to continuous lateral and rotational springs to take into account the effects of the surrounding matrix. The discrete equations of motion associated with free transverse vibration of each model are established in the context of the nonlocal continuum mechanics of Eringen using Hamilton's principle and an efficient meshless method. The effects of slenderness ratio of the nanotube, small scale effect parameter, initial axial force and the stiffness of the surrounding matrix on the natural frequencies of various beam models are investigated for different boundary conditions. The capabilities of the proposed nonlocal beam models in capturing the natural frequencies of the nanotube are also addressed.     

Instability and vibration of a rotating Timoshenko beam with precone

A rotating blade with a precone angle is usually designed, but little literature has investigated the effect of the precone angle on vibration. This paper investigates divergence instability and vibration of a rotating Timoshenko beam with precone and pitch angles. It uses Hamilton's principle to derive the coupled governing differential equations and boundary conditions for a rotating Timoshenko beam. Analytical solution of an inextensional Timoshenko beam without taking into account the Coriolis force effect can be derived. Some simple relations among the parameters of rotating Timoshenko beams are revealed. Based on these relations, one can predict the natural frequencies and parameters of other systems from those of known systems. Moreover, the mechanism of divergence instability (tension buckling) is investigated. Finally, the effects of the parameters on natural frequencies, and the phenomenon of divergence instability are investigated.     

Effect of compressive axial load on forced transverse vibrations of a double-beam system

Based on Bernoulli–Euler beam theory, the forced transverse vibrations of an elastically connected simply supported double-beam system under compressive axial load are investigated. It is assumed that the two beams of the system are continuously joined by a Winkler elastic layer. The dynamic responses of the system caused by arbitrarily distributed continuous loads are obtained. The effects of compressive axial load on the forced vibrations of the double-beam system are discussed for two cases of particular excitation loadings. The properties of the forced transverse vibrations of the system are found to be significantly dependent on the compressive axial load.     

Free vibration of Timoshenko beam with finite mass rigid tip load and flexural–torsional coupling

In this paper, the free vibration of a cantilever Timoshenko beam with a rigid tip mass is analyzed. The mass center of the attached mass need not be coincident with its attachment point to the beam. As a result, the beam can be exposed to both torsional and planar elastic bending deformations. The analysis begins with deriving the governing equations of motion of the system and the corresponding boundary conditions using Hamilton's principle. Next, the derived formulation is transformed into an equivalent dimensionless form. Then, the separation of variables method is utilized to provide the frequency equation of the system. This equation is solved numerically, and the dependency of natural frequencies on various parameters of the tip mass is discussed. Explicit expressions for mode shapes and orthogonality condition are also obtained. Finally, the results obtained by the application of the Timoshenko beam model are compared with those of three other beam models, i.e. Euler–Bernoulli, shear and Rayleigh beam models. In this way, the effects of shear deformation and rotary inertia in the response of the beam are evaluated.     

Natural frequencies,modes and critical speeds of axially moving Timoshenko beams with different boundary conditions

In this paper, natural frequencies, modes and critical speeds of axially moving beams on different supports are analyzed based on Timoshenko model. The governing differential equation of motion is derived from Newton's second law. The expressions for various boundary conditions are established based on the balance of forces. The complex mode approach is performed. The transverse vibration modes and the natural frequencies are investigated for the beams on different supports. The effects of some parameters, such as axially moving speed, the moment of inertia, and the shear deformation, are examined, respectively, as other parameters are fixed. Some numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the comparisons of natural frequencies for four beam models, namely, Timoshenko model, Rayleigh model, Shear model and Euler–Bernoulli model. Finally, the critical speeds for different boundary conditions are determined and numerically investigated.     

Use of a generalized beam/spring element to analyze natural vibration of rail track and its application

This paper describes the formulation of a generalized beam/spring track element to obtain the natural vibration characteristics of a railway track modeled as a periodic elastically coupled beam system on a Winkler foundation. The rail/tie beams are described by either the Timoshenko beam theory or the Bernoulli-Euler beam theory. The rail beam is assumed to be discretely coupled to the cross-track ties through the coupling spring elements at the periodic rail/tie intersections. The generalized beam/spring element consists of a rail span beam segment, two adjacent tie beams, the coupling spring elements and the ultimate foundation stiffness. The entire track/beam system is then discretized into an assembly of periodic structural units. An equivalent frequency-dependent spring coefficient representing the resilient, flexural and inertial characteristics of the track substructure unit is formulated to establish the dynamic stiffness matrix of the generalized element. The eigenvalue problem of the track/beam system is solved by employing a comprehensive and efficient numerical routine. Solutions are provided for the natural frequencies of the track and the mode shapes of the rail/tie beams under transversely (cross-track) symmetric vibration. The natural vibration results are used to obtain the dynamic receptance response of a typical field track and to compare them with an existing model and field experimental data.     

Free transverse vibration of an axially loaded non-uniform spinning twisted Timoshenko beam using differential transform

This study investigates the vibration problems of an axially loaded non-uniform spinning twisted Timoshenko beam. First, using the Timoshenko beam theory and Hamilton's principle, we derive the governing equations and boundary conditions of the beam. Secondly, the differential transform method is used to solve these equations with appropriate boundary conditions. Finally, the effects of the twist angle, spinning speed, and axial force on the natural frequencies of a non-uniform Timoshenko beam are investigated and discussed.     

The elastically supported Timoshenko beam subjected to an axial force and a moving load

A solution for the flexural vibration of an elastically supported Timoshenko beam which is subjected to an axial force and a moving transverse load is obtained. The influences of the axial force and the load velocity on the beam response are studied and the characteristics of the various resonances are examined. The results are also compared with those by the Euler beam theory.     

Transverse vibrations of an Euler–Bernoulli uniform beam carrying two particles in-span

Vibrations of beams carrying different combinations of particles, heavy bodies and spring-mass systems which are located on or off resilient supports have been tackled by several researchers. Most of the approaches were based mainly on various approximate methods. In this paper an analytical solution based on the classical beam eigenvalue technique is presented for the vibrations of a beam carrying two particles. For purpose of analysis, the beam was divided into a portion from one end to the first particle, a portion between particles and a portion from the second particle to the other end. The frequency equation is expressed in closed form as a 2nd order determinant equated to zero. Schemes are presented to compute the 4 elements of the determinant and to evaluate the roots of the frequency equation. Computational difficulties were not encountered in the implementation of the schemes. The first three natural frequency parameters are tabulated for 16 combinations of the classical boundary conditions and several combinations of the location and mass of the particles. The beam mode shape is the juxtaposition of the mode shapes of the three portions of the beam. Some examples of normalised beam mode shapes and location/s of node/s are also presented. The results may be used to judge the accuracy of values obtained by approximate methods.     

Closed-form solutions for crack detection problem of Timoshenko beams with various boundary conditions

An analytical approach for crack identification procedure in uniform beams with an open edge crack, based on bending vibration measurements, is developed in this research. The cracked beam is modeled as two segments connected by a rotational mass-less linear elastic spring with sectional flexibility, and each segment of the continuous beam is assumed to obey Timoshenko beam theory. The method is based on the assumption that the equivalent spring stiffness does not depend on the frequency of vibration, and may be obtained from fracture mechanics. Six various boundary conditions (i.e., simply supported, simple–clamped, clamped–clamped, simple–free shear, clamped–free shear, and cantilever beam) are considered in this research. Considering appropriate compatibility requirements at the cracked section and the corresponding boundary conditions, closed-form expressions for the characteristic equation of each of the six cracked beams are reached. The results provide simple expressions for the characteristic equations, which are functions of circular natural frequencies, crack location, and crack depth. Methods for solving forward solutions (i.e., determination of natural frequencies of beams knowing the crack parameters) are discussed and verified through a large number of finite-element analyses. By knowing the natural frequencies in bending vibrations, it is possible to study the inverse problem in which the crack location and the sectional flexibility may be determined using the characteristic equation. The crack depth is then computed using the relationship between the sectional flexibility and the crack depth. The proposed analytical method is also validated using numerical studies on cracked beam examples with different boundary conditions. There is quite encouraging agreement between the results of the present study and those numerically obtained by the finite-element method.     

Free vibration analysis of circularly curved multi-span Timoshenko beams by the pseudospectral method

The pseudospectral method is applied to the free vibration analysis of circularly curved multi-span Timoshenko beams. Each section of the beam has its own basis functions, and the continuity conditions at the intermediate supports as well as the boundary condition are treated as the constraints of the basis functions so that the number of degrees of freedom matches the number of the pseudospectral expansion coefficients. The computed natural frequencies are compared with those of existing literature, where it is shown that they are in good agreement. Numerical examples are provided for pinned-pinned, clamped-clamped and free-pinned boundary conditions for different numbers of sections and for different thickness-to-length ratios.     

Flexural–torsional coupled vibration and buckling of thin-walled open section composite beams using shear-deformable beam theory

A general analytical model based on shear-deformable beam theory has been developed to study the flexural–torsional coupled vibration and buckling of thin-walled open section composite beams with arbitrary lay-ups. This model accounts for all the structural coupling coming from the material anisotropy. The seven governing differential equations for coupled flexural–torsional–shearing vibration are derived from Hamilton's principle. The resulting coupling is referred to as sixfold coupled vibration. Numerical results are obtained to investigate effects of shear deformation, fiber orientation and axial force on the natural frequencies, corresponding mode shapes as well as load–frequency interaction curves.     

Frequency shift of a nanomechanical sensor carrying a nanoparticle using nonlocal Timoshenko beam theory

The frequency shift of a nanomechanical sensor carrying a nanoparticle is studied. A bridged single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) carrying a nanoparticle is modeled as a clamped micro-beam with a concentrated micro-mass at any position. Based on the nonlocal Timoshenko theory of beams, which incorporates size effects into the classical theory, the natural frequencies of the nanomechanical sensor are derived using the transfer function method. The effects of the mass and position of the nanoparticle on the frequency shift are discussed. In the absence of the nonlocal effect, the frequencies are reduced to the results of the classical model, in agreement with those using the finite element method. The obtained results show that when the mass of the attached nanoparticle increases or its location is close to the beam center, the natural frequency decreases, but the shift in frequency increases. The effect of the nonlocal parameter on the frequency shift is significant. Decreasing the length-to-diameter ratio also increases the frequency shift. The natural frequencies and shifts are strongly affected by rotary inertia, and the nonlocal Timoshenko beam model is more adequate than the nonlocal Euler-Bernoulli beam model for short nanomechanical sensors. The obtained results are helpful in the design of SWCNT-based resonator as nanomechanical mass sensor.     

On the dynamic response of beams with multiple geometric or material discontinuities

An analytic framework is developed for determining closed form expressions for the natural frequencies, mode shapes, and frequency response function for Euler–Bernoulli beams with any number of geometric or material discontinuities. The procedure uses a convenient matrix formulation to generalize the single discontinuity beam problem to beams with multiple step changes. Specifically, the multiple discontinuity beam problem is solved by analyzing the total structure as a series of distinct Euler–Bernoulli elements with continuity and compatibility enforced at separation locations. The method yields each respective section's eigenmode which may then be superpositioned to give the entire beam's mode shape and derivation of the frequency response function follows. Although the Euler–Bernoulli beam problem is demonstrated, any one-dimensional continuous structure is amenable to the prescribed analysis. Theoretical predictions are experimentally validated as well.     

Three-dimensional vibration analysis of thick, tapered rods and beams with circular cross-section

A three-dimensional (3-D) method of analysis is presented for determining the free vibration frequencies and mode shapes of thick, tapered rods and beams with circular cross-section. Unlike conventional rod and beam theories, which are mathematically one-dimensional (1-D), the present method is based upon the 3-D dynamic equations of elasticity. Displacement components u_r, u_θ, and u_z in the radial, circumferential, and axial directions, respectively, are taken to be sinusoidal in time, periodic in θ, and algebraic polynomials in the r and z directions. Potential (strain) and kinetic energies of the rods and beams are formulated, the Ritz method is used to solve the eigenvalue problem, thus yielding upper bound values of the frequencies by minimizing the frequencies. As the degree of the polynomials is increased, frequencies converge to the exact values. Convergence to four- digit exactitude is demonstrated for the first five frequencies of the rods and beams. Novel numerical results are tabulated for nine different tapered rods and beams with linear, quadratic, and cubic variations of radial thickness in the axial direction using the 3-D theory. Comparisons are also made with results for linearly tapered beams from 1-D classical Euler–Bernoulli beam theory.     

Transverse vibration of a rotating twisted Timoshenko beams under axial loading using differential transform

This study introduces the concept of a differential transform to solve the free vibration problems of a rotating twisted Timoshenko beam under axial loading. First, the concept of differential transform is briefly introduced. Second, taking a differential transform of a Timoshenko beam vibration problem, a set of difference equations is derived. Performing some simple algebraic operations on these equations, we can determine the jth natural-frequency, the closed form series solution of the jth mode shape. Finally, three cases—twist, axial force and rotation—are investigated to illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of the present method.     

Free periodic vibrations of beams with large displacements and initial plastic strains

This paper intends to analyse free vibrations of beams in the geometrically non-linear regime and with plastic strains. The specific goal is to find how plastic strains combined with large displacements influence the non-linear modes of vibration, by analysing the influence of the former two factors in mode shapes and natural frequencies of vibration. The geometrical non-linearity is represented by the Von Kármán type strain-displacement relations. A stress-strain relation of the bilinear type, with isotropic strain hardening, is assumed, the Von Mises yield criterion is employed and the flow theory of plasticity applied. To obtain the time domain ordinary differential equations of motion the principle of virtual work is used and a Timoshenko p-version finite element model with hierarchical basis functions is adopted. The equations of motion are naturally different from the usual large displacement equations, due to the appearance of matrices and vectors related with plastic terms. In the cases studied, plastic strains are imposed on the beam by equally distributed static forces; the forces are then removed and a study on the free vibrations is carried out. It is assumed that, once defined, the plastic strain field does not change. The time domain equations are transformed to the frequency domain by the harmonic balance method and these frequency domain equations are solved by an arc-length continuation method. The variations of mode shapes of vibration and of natural frequencies with vibration amplitude are investigated. It is found that the plastic strain distribution defines if and how much softening spring effect occurs. Hardening spring effect always appears, but with some plastic strain fields hardening spring takes place only at large vibration amplitudes. Plastic deformations also have an important effect in the vibration shapes.     

Non-linear free vibrations of Kelvin–Voigt visco-elastic beams

A full visco-elastic non-linear beam with cubic non-linearities is considered, and the governing equations of motion of the system for large amplitude vibrations are derived. By using the method of multiple scales, the non-linear mode shapes and natural frequencies of the beam are then analytically formulated. The resulting formulations for amplitude, non-linear natural frequencies and mode shapes can be used for any type of boundary conditions. Next, method of Galerkin is used to separate the time and space variables. The equations of motion show the presence of a non-linear damping term in addition to the ones with non-linear inertia and geometry. As it is known, the presence of non-linear inertia and the geometric terms make the non-linear natural frequencies to be dependent on constant amplitude of vibration. But, when damping non-linearities are present, it is seen that the amplitude is exponentially time-dependent, and so, the non-linear natural frequencies will be logarithmically time-dependent. Additionally, it is shown that the mode shapes will be dependent on the third power of time-dependent amplitude. The analytical results are applied to hinged–hinged and hinged–clamped boundary conditions and the results are compared with numerical simulations. The results match very closely for both cases specially for the case of hinged–hinged beam.