Rigid-body motion and modal

decomposition
When structure is not anchored in space,
some of the vibration modes represent
rigid body motion
What is the frequency?
What does orthogonality mean?

Expanding response in terms of vibration

modes
What decides modal amplitudes

7.9: Systems admitting rigid-body

motions
Not all systems are fully constrained
Potential and kinetic energies
1
T = I112 + I222 + I332
2
1
2
2
V = k1 (2 1 ) + k2 (3 2 )

2
k1
I1 0 0
k1
M = 0 I2 0 , K = k1 k1 + k2
0 0 I3
0
k2

0
k2
k2

Ki=GJi/Li

Orthogonality to rigid-body modes

Eigenvalue problem
The lowest eigenvalue is
zero corresponding to rigid
body motion
For other eignevectors we
get zero change in angular
momentum.
For a beam vibrating in
space, what does
orthogonolity with respect
to rigid body modes
implied?

K = M
2

0 = [1 1 1]T 0 = 0
K 0 = 0

T0 M = 0
I11 + I22 + I33 = 0
I11 + I22 + I33 = 0

7.9: Modal expansion of response

Analogous to Fourier series it is advantageous
to express general motion in terms of vibration
n
modes
u = Uc = cr u r
r =1

From orthogonality conditions

we get

u Mu r = rs ,
uTs Ku r = s2 rs ,

cs = uTs Mu, s2cs = uTs Ku r

c = U T Mu

c = U T Ku

T
s

7.10: Response to initial conditions by

modal analysis
Original problem Mq(t) + Kq(t) = 0
n
In modal coordinates

q(0), q (0)given

q(t) = r (t)u r
r =1

MU + KU = 0
From Section 7.5 with
diagonal K and M
M ' + K ' = 0
giving decoupled
T
T
M
'
=
U
MU
,
K
'
=
U
KU
equations
r (t) + r2 (t) = 0
For initial conditions
use

r = uTr Mq

r (0) = uTr Mq(0), r (0) = uTr Mq(0)

Spring example Example

Find response to unit initial displacement
for mass #3

1 0 0
M = m 0 1 0 ,
0 0 2

2 1 0
K = k 1 6 1
0 1 3

Non-dimensionalization
Original equations 1 0 0 x 2
0 1 0 x + k 1

m
We want to solve
0 0 2 x
0
without choosing k
and m
k

=
t
Done by defining nonm
dimensional time
dx k
k
1

x =

1 0 0 x "1 2 1 0 x1
0 1 0 x " + 1 6 1 x = 0

2
2
0 0 2 x "3 0 1 3 x3

x'

0 x1

6 1 x2 = 0
1 3 x3

k d 2x k
= x"
x =
2
m d
m

Initial modal conditions from Matlab

K=[2,-1,0;-1,6,-1;0,-1,3];
M=[1,0,0;0,1,0;0,0,2]; q0=[0,0,1];
Modal equations:
[V,D]=eig(K,M);
1 + 1.34091 = 0,
1 (0) = 1.309
V=
0.3160 -0.9223 -0.2226
2 + 1.82502 = 0,
2 (0) = 0.4967
0.2083 -0.1614 0.9647
3 + 6.33423 = 0,
3 (0) = 0.1995
0.6545 0.2484 -0.0998
D=
1.3409
0
0
Solution
0 1.8250
0
0
0 6.3342
1 = 1.309cos1.158
V'*M*q0'
1.3090
2 = 0.4967cos1.351
0.4967
3 = 0.1995cos2.517
-0.1995

Checks?

Retrieving original coordinates

V=
0.3160 -0.9223 -0.2226
0.2083 -0.1614 0.9647
0.6545 0.2484 -0.0998

0.3160
0.9223

x = 1.309 0.2083 cos1.158 + 0.4967 0.1614 cos1.351

0.6545
0.2484

0.2226

0.1995 0.9647 cos2.517

0.0998

Reading assignment
Sections 7.11-13

Source: www.library.veryhelpful.co.uk/ Page11.htm