Exercises CIV340 Computational Engineering Mathe-

matics
Dr T M Michelitsch – Sheet 3
Due Date: Tutorials Wednesday 25th October 2006

Problem 3: Partial Differential Equations (Boundary

Value Problems) – Beam Theory
The motion of a beam of length L may be described by a simplified
PDE of the form (vibrating string)
∂2 ∂2
u(x, t) = µ 2 u(x, t) , µ>0, (I)
∂t2 ∂x
with the two boundary conditions
u(x = 0, t) = 0 , (II.1)
u(x = L, t) = 0 , (II.2)
a) (i) Separate the PDE by u(x, t) = v(t)w(x) into two eigenvalue
problems for v(t) and w(x) with first of all undetermined eigenvalue
λ.
(ii) Give the differential equations (eigenvalue problems) for v(t), w(x),
(iii) Determine a set of eigenfunctions (Fundamental System of ho-
mogeneous solutions to each ODE) for a general eigenvalue λ.
(iv) Give general solution vλ(t), wλ(x) to both eigenvalue problems.

b) The eigenvalue λ which comes into play in a) has first of all

no determined sign. However its sign is crucial whether or not the
motion is a vibration or an exponential increasing (unstable mo-
tion). Determine the sign of λ from the condition of elastic stability
(i.e. positive definiteness of elastic energy), namely
dw
Z L
2
²el = 0 dx
(
(x)) dx > 0

by partial integration, which may be performed by using the bound-

ary conditions (II).
c) Determine in wλ(x) derived in a) a linear equation system for
the two coefficients such that wλ(x) fulfills the boundary conditions
(II). This linear 2 × 2 equation system has only non-zero solutions
for these coefficients if its determinant is vanishing which is a condi-
tion for λ. Determine from this condition (characteristic equation),
the admissible discrete values of λn.

d) Having determined the λn and their corresponding eigenfunc-

tions (eigen-modes) wn(x),
(i) Give the solution of the BVP (I), (II) in terms of a modal ex-
pansion.
(ii) Sketch the first three eigen-modes wn(x), i.e. for n = 1, 2, 3.

Problem 4: The motion of a Simply Supported Beam of

length L may be described by a PDE of fourth order
∂2 ∂4 EI ˜
u(x, t) = −µ 4 u(x, t) , µ= >0, (I)
∂t2 ∂x ρ
with the four boundary conditions
u(x, t = 0) = 0 , ˜
(II.1)
∂2 ˜
2
u(x = 0, t = 0) = 0 , (II.2)
∂x
u(x = L, t = 0) = 0 , ˜
(II.3)
∂2 ˜
2
u(x = L, t = 0) = 0 , (II.4)
∂x
Perform for this BVP (I), ˜ (II)
˜ the tasks a)-d) of Problem 3 and
give the solution of the solution in terms of a modal expansion.