Week 10 plus

1
Part 3. Mainly based on the text book by D.J. Inman
Week 10 plus
2
3. Modal Analysis
We know that there are three ways to solve an undamped
vibration problem in matrix form:


Which one should we use?
For 2-DOF systems
calculation can be done by hand
the most straightforward way is to use approach (i)
For problems with more than 2-DOF
use a computational code to avoid mistakes and insure accuracy
The most efficient way is to use approach (iii)

(i) e
2
Mu = Ku (ii) e
2
u = M
1
Ku (iii) e
2
v = M
1
2
KM
1
2
v
Physical coordinates are not always the easiest to work in
Eigenvectors provide a convenient transformation to modal
coordinates
Modal coordinates are linear combination of physical coordinates
Say we have physical coordinates x and want to transform to
some other coordinates u

u
1
= x
1
+ 3x
2
u
2
= x
1
3x
2

u
1
u
2

(
=
1 3
1 3

(
x
1
x
2

(
Modal Analysis
3
Week 10 plus
Week 10 plus
4
Review: Eigenvalue Problem
We have the equation of a vibration problem in the physical
coordinate:
Where x is a vector, M and K are matrices. The initial conditions
are and .
Week 10 plus
5
Review: Eigenvalue Problem
(4.55)
Now we have a symmetric, real matrix
Guarantees real eigenvalues and distinct, mutually orthogonal
eigenvectors

Mode shapes are solutions to in physical
coordinates. Eigenvectors v are characteristics of matrices.
The two are related by a simple transformation
but they are the synonymous.
Week 10 plus
6
Decoupling of Equation of Motion
Back to the symmetric eigenvalue problem:

Make the 2
nd
coordinate transformation and multiply by P
T

The matrix of eigenvectors P can be used to decouple the equations
of motion.
(4.59)
Now we have decoupled the EOM, i.e., we have n independent 2
nd

order systems in modal coordinates r(t)
Week 10 plus
7
Decoupling of Equation of Motion
Writing out equation (4.59) we get:
Also transform the initial conditions:
(4.62)
(4.60)
(4.65)
(4.63)
(4.64)
Week 10 plus
8
Decoupling of Equation of Motion
This transformation takes the problem from coupled equations in
the physical coordinates into decoupled equations in the modal
coordinates.

x = M
1
2
Pr
Week 10 plus
9
Decoupling of Equation of Motion
The modal transformation transforms our 2-DOF system into two
SDOF systems
This allows us to solve the two decoupled SDOF systems
independently.
Then we can recombine using the inverse transformation to obtain
the solution in terms of the physical coordinates.
The free response is calculated for each mode independently using
the formulas for SDOF:



Or

(4.66 & 4.67)
Week 10 plus
10
Returning to Physical Coordinate
Once the solution in modal coordinates is determined (r
i
) then the
response in Physical Coordinates is computed by:



With n DOFs these transformations are:

x = M
1
2
Pr
1
2

1 1
where
nxn
(t) S (t)
n n
n n
S M P
nxn n n

x r
(where n = 2 in the previous slides)
Week 10 plus
11
Steps in Solving via Modal Analysis
Week 10 plus
12
Example: using modal analysis
Related to Examples 4.3.1 in the text book of D.J. Inman.
Calculate the solution of the 2-DOF system of Example 4.1.5.


Follow the given steps (slide 11). From examples 4.1.5, 4.2.1, 4.2.3 and
4.2.4 we have calculated:
These are steps
1 4 in slide 11
Week 10 plus
13
Example: using modal analysis
Step 5: Calculate matrix S and its inverse




Check that SS
-1
= I. Also note that S
T
MS = I
See that the value between the square bracket of matrix S is similar to
the mode shapes found in Example 4.1.6
Step 6: Calculate the modal initial conditions




So inserting the above to Equation 4.66 & 4.67 (step 7), we get solutions:
Week 10 plus
14
Example: using modal analysis
Step 8: Return to the physical coordinate







Which is the same as Example 4.1.7
Week 10 plus
15
Example: using modal analysis