Chapter Five

Vibration Analysis

Vibration Analysis

Chapter Overview

In this chapter, performing free vibration analyses in

Simulation will be covered. In Simulation, performing a free
vibration analysis is similar to a linear static analysis.
It is assumed that the user has already covered Chapter 4
Linear Static Structural Analysis prior to this section.

The following will be covered:

Free Vibration Analysis Procedure
Free Vibration with Pre-Stress Analysis Procedure

The capabilities described in this section are generally

applicable to ANSYS DesignSpace Entra licenses and
above.

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Vibration Analysis

Basics of Free Vibration Analysis

For a free vibration analysis, the natural circular
frequencies i and mode shapes i are calculated from:

K M 0
2
i

Assumptions:
[K] and [M] are constant:
Linear elastic material behavior is assumed
Small deflection theory is used, and no nonlinearities included
[C] is not present, so damping is not included
{F} is not present, so no excitation of the structure is assumed
The structure can be constrained or unconstrained

Mode shapes {} are relative values, not absolute

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Vibration Analysis

A. Free Vibration Analysis Procedure

The free vibration analysis procedure is very similar to

performing a linear static analysis, so not all steps will be
covered in detail. The steps in yellow italics are specific to
free vibration analyses.
Attach Geometry
Assign Material Properties
Define Contact Regions (if applicable)
Define Mesh Controls (optional)
Include Supports (if applicable)
Request Frequency Finder Results
Set Frequency Finder Options
Solve the Model
Review Results

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Vibration Analysis

Geometry and Point Mass

Similar to linear static analyses, any type of geometry
supported by Simulation may be used:
Solid bodies, surface bodies and line bodies

For line bodies, only mode shapes and displacement results are
available.

The Point Mass feature can be used:

The Point Mass adds mass only in a free vibration analysis. The
effect is to add only mass (not stiffness) to a structure.
Because of this, the Point Mass will decrease the natural frequency
in free vibration analyses.

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Vibration Analysis

Material Properties

For material properties, Youngs Modulus, Poissons Ratio,

and Mass Density are required
Since no loading is assumed, no other material properties will
be used, if defined

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Vibration Analysis

Contact Regions
Contact regions are available in free vibration analyses.
However, since this is a purely linear analysis, contact
behavior will differ for the nonlinear contact types:
Contact Type
Bonded
No Separation
Rough
Frictionless

Static Analysis
Bonded
No Separation
Rough
Frictionless

Initially Touching
Bonded
No Separation
Bonded
No Separation

Modal Analysis
Inside Pinball Region
Bonded
No Separation
Free
Free

Outside Pinball Region

Free
Free
Free
Free

Contact free vibration analyses:

Rough and frictionless:
will internally behave as bonded or no separation
If a gap is present, the nonlinear contact behaviors will be free (i.e.,
as if no contact is present)

Bonded and no separation contact status will depend on the

pinball region size
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Vibration Analysis

Contact Regions
Contact options (ANSYS Professional +):
Rough and frictionless:

Interface Treatment can be changed to Adjusted to Touch,

which will make the contact surfaces behave as bonded and no
separation
The size of the Pinball Region may be changed to ensure that
bonded and no separation contact is established even where a gap
exists

For ANSYS Structural licenses and above, frictional contact

will behave similar to bonded contact if surfaces are
touching but act as free (no contact) if contact is open.
It is not recommended to use frictional contact in a free
vibration analysis since it is nonlinear.

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Vibration Analysis

Loads and Supports

Structural and thermal loads not used in free vibration

Supports can be used in free vibration analyses:

If no or partial supports are present, rigid-body modes can be
detected and evaluated. These modes will be at or near 0 Hz.
The boundary conditions affect the mode shapes and
frequencies of the part. Carefully consider how the model is
constrained.
The compression only support is a nonlinear support and
should not be used in the analysis.
If present, the compression only support will generally
behave similar to a frictionless support.

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Vibration Analysis

Requesting Results
Simulation triggers a free vibration analysis
when the Frequency Finder tool is selected
under the Solutions Branch
The Details View of the Frequency Finder allows
the user to specify the Max Modes to Find. The
default is 6 modes (max is 200). Increasing the
number of modes to retrieve will increase the
solution time.
The search may be limited to a specific frequency
range of interest by selecting Yes on Limit
Search to Range.
By default, frequencies beginning from 0 Hz
(rigid-body modes) will be calculated if a
search range is not set.

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The minimum and

maximum range (in Hz)
can be specified if Limit
Search to Range is
enabled. Note that this
works in conjunction
with Max Modes to
Find. If not enough
modes are requested, not
all modes in the
frequency range may be
found.

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Vibration Analysis

Requesting Results

Training Manual

If stress, strain, or directional

displacements are to be requested, this
can be done by adding the result from the
Context toolbar.
For each stress, strain, or displacement
result added, the user can specify which
mode this corresponds to from the Details
view, under Mode.

If relative stress or strain results are needed,

be sure to add results under the Frequency
Finder branch, not the Solution branch.
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Recall that mode shapes are relative values

since no excitation is present. Hence,
stresses and strains are also relative.

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For each requested mode an additional

result object will be automatically added
below the Frequency Finder

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Vibration Analysis

Solution Options

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In the majority of cases, Solver Type should be left on the default

option of Program Controlled

The Analysis Type will display Free Vibration

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For a free vibration analysis, typically none of the options in

the Details view of the Solution branch need to be changed

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Vibration Analysis

Solving the Model

Solve a free vibration analysis just like any other analysis

by selecting the Solve button.
A free vibration analysis is generally more computationally
expensive than a static analysis
If a Solution Information branch
is requested detailed solution output
will be available
If stress or strain results or more
frequencies/modes are requested
after a solution is performed, a new
solution is required.

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Vibration Analysis

Reviewing Results
Mode shapes:

Because there is no excitation applied to the structure, the

mode shapes are relative values associated with free vibration
Mode shapes (displacements), stresses, and strains represent
relative, not absolute quantities

The frequency is listed in the

Details view of any result
being viewed
The animation tab below the
graphics window can be
used to help visualize the mode
shapes

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Vibration Analysis

Reviewing Results
The Worksheet tab of the Frequency Finder branch
summarizes all frequencies in tabular form

By reviewing the frequencies and mode shapes, one can get

a better understanding of the possible dynamic response of
the structure under different excitation directions

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Vibration Analysis

B. Workshop 5.1 Free Vibration

Workshop 5.1 Free Vibration Analysis

Goal:
Investigate the vibration characteristics of two motor cover
designs manufactured from 18 gauge steel.

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Vibration Analysis

C. Free Vibration with Pre-Stress

In some cases, one may want to consider prestress effects

when performing a free vibration analysis.
The stress state of a structure under constant (static) loads
may affect its natural frequencies
Consider a guitar string being tuned as the axial load is
increased (from tightening), the lateral frequencies increase
This is an example of the stress stiffening effect

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Vibration Analysis

Free Vibration with Pre-Stress

Training Manual

A linear static analysis is initially performed:

K xo F
Based on the stress state from the static analysis, a stress
stiffness matrix [S] is calculated:

o S

The free vibration with pre-stress analysis is then solved, including

the [S] term

K S i M i 0

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In free vibration with pre-stress analyses, internally, two

iterations are automatically performed:

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Vibration Analysis

Procedure w/ Pre-Stress Effects

A prestressed modal analysis is the same as running a
regular free vibration analysis with the following
exceptions:
A load (structural and/or thermal) must be applied to
determine what the initial stress state of the structure is

Results for the linear static structural analysis may also be

requested under the Solution branch (not the Frequency
Finder branch)
A stress or strain result requested under the Frequency Finder
branch will be relative stress/strain values for a particular mode
A stress or strain (or displacement) result requested under the
Solution branch will be absolute stress/strain/displacement values
for the statically applied load

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Vibration Analysis

Example w/ Pre-Stress Effects

Consider a simple comparison of a thin plate fixed at one

end
Two analyses will be run free vibration and free vibration
with pre-stress effects to compare the differences between
the two.
Free Vibration

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Free Vibration with Pre-Stress

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Vibration Analysis

Example w/ Pre-Stress Effects

Notice that the only difference in running
a free vibration analysis with or without
pre-stress is the existence of a load:
If a Frequency Finder tool is present and a
load is present, Simulation knows that a
Free Vibration with Pre-Stress analysis
will be performed.
If results such as displacement, stress, or
strains are requested directly underneath
the Solution branch, the results from the
linear static analysis are reported

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Vibration Analysis

Example w/ Pre-Stress Effects

In this example, with the applied force, a tensile stress state

is produced, thus increasing the natural frequencies, as
illustrated below

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Free Vibration

Free Vibration with Pre-Stress

1st mode frequency: 141 Hz

1st mode frequency: 184 Hz

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Vibration Analysis

D. Workshop 5.2 Prestressed Modal

Workshop 5.2 Prestressed Modal Analysis

Goal: simulate the modal response of the tension link

(shown below) in both a stressed and unstressed state.

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