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Vibration analysis of a thin-plate box using a finite element model which accommodates only in-plane motion

Vibration analysis of a thin-plate box using a finite element model which accommodates only in-plane motion
Vibration analysis of a thin-plate box using a finite element model which accommodates only in-plane motion
Many practical built-up structures, e.g., the modern car body, are essentially assemblies of numerous thin plates joined at many edges. The plates are often so thin that they cannot support appreciable loads out of plane. In the case of a car, the body can only support the static loads of either the vehicle or the engine using the substantial in-plane stiffness of the plates. During operation of the vehicle, the dynamic loads applied to the body by the engine and suspension also act in-plane so that the vibrational power injected into the body is controlled by the in-plane properties. The paper argues that under such conditions, the vibrational response of the structure must be dominated by the mobility of long wavelength in-plane waves. To investigate this hypothesis, a six-sided thin-plate box excited by a force at a stiff point where two sides meet is chosen as the test structure. A finite element model of the box is constructed from membrane elements which accommodate only in-plane response. Predictions of the input and transfer frequency response of the box are compared with laboratory measurements with favourable agreement. The finite element model is advantageous because it has relatively few degrees of freedom making it computationally attractive, yet remains valid over very broad frequency ranges. It could therefore be used during the preliminary stages of the design of a practical thin-plate built-up structure.
0022-460X
449-471
Grice, R.M.
2dc81cc0-e843-43b4-a326-aae435a01f69
Pinnington, R.J.
8c573d68-9de6-46df-95a4-23130f4fac9f
Grice, R.M.
2dc81cc0-e843-43b4-a326-aae435a01f69
Pinnington, R.J.
8c573d68-9de6-46df-95a4-23130f4fac9f

Grice, R.M. and Pinnington, R.J. (2000) Vibration analysis of a thin-plate box using a finite element model which accommodates only in-plane motion. Journal of Sound and Vibration, 232 (2), 449-471. (doi:10.1006/jsvi.1999.2748).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Many practical built-up structures, e.g., the modern car body, are essentially assemblies of numerous thin plates joined at many edges. The plates are often so thin that they cannot support appreciable loads out of plane. In the case of a car, the body can only support the static loads of either the vehicle or the engine using the substantial in-plane stiffness of the plates. During operation of the vehicle, the dynamic loads applied to the body by the engine and suspension also act in-plane so that the vibrational power injected into the body is controlled by the in-plane properties. The paper argues that under such conditions, the vibrational response of the structure must be dominated by the mobility of long wavelength in-plane waves. To investigate this hypothesis, a six-sided thin-plate box excited by a force at a stiff point where two sides meet is chosen as the test structure. A finite element model of the box is constructed from membrane elements which accommodate only in-plane response. Predictions of the input and transfer frequency response of the box are compared with laboratory measurements with favourable agreement. The finite element model is advantageous because it has relatively few degrees of freedom making it computationally attractive, yet remains valid over very broad frequency ranges. It could therefore be used during the preliminary stages of the design of a practical thin-plate built-up structure.

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Published date: 2000

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 9942
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/9942
ISSN: 0022-460X
PURE UUID: 47832e88-8c08-42a8-91ea-1bb6f88f2e2e

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Date deposited: 03 Nov 2004
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 04:57

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Contributors

Author: R.M. Grice
Author: R.J. Pinnington

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