Exact eigenvalue calculations for structures with rotationally periodic substructures

Abstract

AbstractThe theory presented enables rotationally periodic (i.e. cyclically symmetric) three‐dimensional substructures to be included when using existing algorithms to ensure that no eigenvalues are missed when the stiffness matrix method of structural analysis is used, where the eigenvalues are the natural frequencies of undamped free vibration analyses or the critical load factors of buckling problems. A substructure can be connected in any required way to a parent structure which shares its rotational periodicity, or can be connected by nodes at each end of its axis of periodicity to any parent structure, i.e. the parent structure need not be periodic. The theory uses complex arithmetic, involves only one of the rotationally repeating portions of the substructure, allows nodes and members to coincide with the axis of rotational periodicity, permits efficient multi‐level use of rotationally periodic substructures, and gives ‘exact’ eigenvalues if the member equations used are those obtained by solving appropriate differential equations. The competitiveness of the method is illustrated by approximate predictions of computation times and savings for two structures which contain rotationally periodic substructures.