Frequency Design of a Vertical Cantilever Beam Carrying Tip Mass

Abstract

Previous research has revealed that vertical cantilever beam structures, after considering the effects of gravity, can exhibit a 1:3 internal resonance between two transverse modes. However, whether a similar phenomenon would still occur in the system when a proof body is attached to the free end of cantilever beams, and how to perform parameter design to deliberately induce internal resonance are still open issues. The present study conducts research on the natural frequencies of a vertical cantilever beam with a tip mass. Within the framework of the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, Hamilton’s principle is utilized to derive the integral-partial differential equation of free vibration of the system. The corresponding frequency equation is then solved using the Chebyshev pseudospectral method, with an algebraic equation of the natural frequency obtained. Moreover, an explicit analytical expression for the fundamental frequency is obtained using parameter fitting, which is then used to reveal the relationship among parameters under the critical state of buckling and evaluate the extent of gravity’s impact on the fundamental frequency. The study finally investigates the ratio of the first two natural frequencies. A parameter design method is proposed, which derives a parametric curve in terms of the fundamental frequency, ensuring a 1:3 ratio between the first two natural frequencies. The free vibration time history at the midpoint of the beam is acquired by directly solving the system’s partial differential equation through the finite element method. Fourier transformation of this time history verifies that the fundamental frequency aligns with a predetermined value, and the ratio between the first two natural frequencies is 1:3, thus confirming the efficacy of the proposed method. It is found that the addition of a tip mass provides more flexibility in adjusting parameters to achieve internal resonance, which facilitates the miniaturization of actual structures.