Where Did the Exponentials Go in Beam Vibration Analysis?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the analysis of beam vibrations, specifically focusing on the treatment of exponential terms in the context of a partial differential equation (PDE) governing the motion. Participants explore the implications of setting the non-homogeneous function to zero and how this affects the resulting ordinary differential equation (ODE).

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the disappearance of exponential terms when substituting a specific form of the solution into the PDE.
  • Another participant suggests that if the non-homogeneity function q is set to zero, the exponential can be factored out, leading to an ODE that does not contain it.
  • Further inquiries are made about how the non-homogeneity function can simply be disregarded and the method of demonstrating that the exponential is absorbed in the LHS of the PDE.
  • A participant proposes that if q(x,t) is zero, each term in the LHS would contain an exponential factor, allowing it to be factored out, leading to an ODE equal to zero.
  • Some participants discuss the relationship between natural transverse motion and free vibration, asserting that if motion is free, q(x,t) cannot depend on time.
  • An analogy is drawn to a mass-on-a-spring system to illustrate the concept of equilibrium positions and how they relate to the PDE.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on the treatment of the non-homogeneous function q or the implications of its absence. Multiple viewpoints are presented regarding the handling of exponential terms and the conditions under which they can be factored out.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty regarding the assumptions made about the nature of the motion and the implications of setting the non-homogeneous term to zero. The discussion highlights the dependence on definitions of free versus forced vibration.

bugatti79
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I am just wondering the author is doing in this calculation step.

Given ##\displaystyle \rho A \frac {\partial^2 w}{\partial x^2} - \rho I \frac{\partial^4 w}{\partial t^2 \partial x^2} +\frac {\partial^2 }{\partial x^2}EI \frac {\partial^2 w}{\partial x^2}=q(x,t)##

where ##w(x,t)=W(x)e^{-i \omega t}##

##\omega## is the frequency of natural transverse motion and ##W(x)## is the mode shape of the transverse motion.

He substitutes the above into the PDE to get the following

##\displaystyle \frac {d^2 }{d x^2}EI \frac {d^2 W}{d x^2} - \lambda (\rho A W -\rho I \frac {d^2 W }{d x^2} ) =0## where ##\lambda=\omega^2##

However, I calculate the second derivative ##w''(x)=e^{-i\omega t} W''(x)## and ##w''(t)=- \lambda e^{-i\omega t} W(x)##

What is incorrect on my part? Ie, where did the exponentials go?

thanks
 
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If the non-homogeneity function q goes away, so that the PDE hat 0 in the RHS, you can show that the exponential gets factored in the LHS, so that the resulting ODE will no longer contain it.
 
dextercioby said:
If the non-homogeneity function q goes away, so that the PDE hat 0 in the RHS, you can show that the exponential gets factored in the LHS, so that the resulting ODE will no longer contain it.
1) How does the non homogeneity function just go away?

2) How is it shown that the exponential is absorbed in the LHS of PDE?

Thanks
 
Last edited:
bugatti79 said:
1) How does the non homogeneity function just go away?

2) How is it shown that the exponential is absorbed in the LHS of PDE?

Thanks

On second thoughts is it something along these lines...

If ##q(x,t)=0##then we can write the ODE in which each term on the LHS will have a ##e^{-i \omega t}## factor. Pull this out from each of the terms and thus we get

##e^{-i \omega t}[ODE]=0## but ##e^{-i \omega t}\ne 0## therefore

##[ODE]=0##...?
 
bugatti79 said:
1) How does the non homogeneity function just go away?

If "natural transverse motion" means the same as "free vibration", then q(x,t) can't depend on t by definition, otherwise you would have forced vibration not free vibration.

So this is the same idea as a vertical mass-on-a-spring, where the spring is stretched by the weight of the mass. You can find the equilibrium position as the statics problem
$$\frac{d^2}{dz^2}EI\frac{d^2}{dz^2}w_0(x) = q(x)$$
Then you measure w(x) from the equilibrum position. That makes the right hand side = 0.

You answered your own question 2).
 
AlephZero said:
If "natural transverse motion" means the same as "free vibration", then q(x,t) can't depend on t by definition, otherwise you would have forced vibration not free vibration.

So this is the same idea as a vertical mass-on-a-spring, where the spring is stretched by the weight of the mass. You can find the equilibrium position as the statics problem
$$\frac{d^2}{dz^2}EI\frac{d^2}{dz^2}w_0(x) = q(x)$$
Then you measure w(x) from the equilibrum position. That makes the right hand side = 0.

You answered your own question 2).

Thanks, that makes good sense. Now I can proceed :-)
 

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