Free vibration analysis of a non-uniform free-ended beam with weighted residual methods

Abstract

In this study the transverse vibration of a non-uniform free-ended beam is analyzedby solving its governing differential equation based on Euler-Bernoulli Theory withweighted residual methods as approximate methods. First, several beam theories are reviewed and compared and among them Euler-Bernoulli theory is chosen for further studydue to its basic structure. After studying the convergence of the approximate valuesobtained with Galerkin Method to the exact values of the natural frequencies for the firstfive modes of vibration of a uniform beam, several trials with combinations of different weighted residual methods and assumed basis functions are investigated to findapproximate values for natural frequencies of a non-uniform elastic beam. Using GalerkinMethod and power series as trial function, which resulted in best approximation, thevariations of natural frequencies for the first six modes of vibration of the free-ended nonuniform beam with changing system parameters are investigated.