Chapter Five

Free Vibration Analysis

Free Vibration Analysis
Chapter Overview Training Manual

• In this chapter, performing free vibration analyses in

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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.
– Some options discussed in this chapter may require more
advanced licenses, but these are noted accordingly.
– Harmonic and nonlinear static structural analyses are not
discussed here but in their respective chapters.
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Free Vibration Analysis
Basics of Free Vibration Analysis Training Manual

• A free vibration analysis (a.k.a. modal or normal modes

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analysis) is performed to obtain the natural frequencies and
mode shapes of a structure
– Free Vibration analysis does not consider the response of the
structure under dynamic loads but just solves for the natural
frequencies. A free vibration analysis is usually the first step
before solving more complicated dynamic problems.

• A free vibration analysis is a subset of the general equation

of motion:

M x C x  K x  F t 

M x K x  0 April 22, 2004
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Free Vibration Analysis
Basics of Free Vibration Analysis Training Manual

• In free vibration analysis, the structure is assumed to be

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linear, so the response is assumed to be harmonic:
x  i cos it 
where i is the mode shape (eigenvector) and i is the
natural circular frequency for mode i.
• By substituting this value in the earlier equation, the
following is obtained:
  i2 M i cos i t   K i cos i t   0
  M  K  cos t   0
i
2
i i

Noting that the solution i =0 is trivial, i is solved for:

K   M   0
i
2
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Free Vibration Analysis
Basics of Free Vibration Analysis Training Manual

• For a free vibration analysis, the natural circular frequencies

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i and mode shapes i are calculated from:

K   M   0
i
2
i
This results in certain assumptions related to the analysis:
– [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 unconstrained (rigid-body modes present) or
partially/fully constrained, depending on the physical structure
– Mode shapes {} are relative values, not absolute

• It is important to remember these assumptions related to

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Free Vibration Analysis
A. Free Vibration Analysis Procedure Training Manual

• The free vibration analysis procedure is very similar to

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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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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Geometry and Point Mass Training Manual

• Similar to linear static analyses, any type of geometry

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supported by Simulation may be used:
– Solid bodies
– Surface bodies (with appropriate thickness defined)
– Line bodies (with appropriate cross-sections defined)
• For line bodies, only mode shapes and displacement results are
available.

• The Point Mass feature can be used:

• Input for the Point Mass was described earlier in Chapter 4.
• The Point Mass adds mass only in a free vibration analysis. It is
connected to selected surfaces as if no stiffness is present, so the
effect is to add only mass (not stiffness) to a structure.
• Useful for including the effect of distributed weight on selected
surfaces. Because of this, the Point Mass will decrease the natural
frequency in free vibration analyses.
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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Material Properties Training Manual

• For material properties, Young’s Modulus, Poisson’s Ratio,

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

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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Contact Regions Training Manual

• Contact regions are available in free vibration analyses.

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However, since this is a purely linear analysis, contact
behavior will differ for the nonlinear contact types:
Modal Analysis
Contact Type Static Analysis
Initially Touching Inside Pinball Region Outside Pinball Region
Bonded Bonded Bonded Bonded Free
No Separation No Separation No Separation No Separation Free
Rough Rough Bonded Free Free
Frictionless Frictionless No Separation Free Free

• There are two important things to remember when using

contact in a free vibration analysis:
– The two nonlinear contact behaviors – rough and frictionless –
will behave in a linear fashion, so they will internally behave as
bonded or no separation instead.
– 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 will depend on the pinball region size.
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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Contact Regions Training Manual

• For ANSYS Professional licenses and above, additional

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contact options can be used in free vibration analyses:
– For rough and frictionless contact, the “Interface Treatment” can
be changed to “Adjusted to Touch,” which will make the contact
surfaces behave as bonded and no separation, respectively.
(Even if a gap is present, the parts will behave as if they are
initially touching if this option is set.)
– The size of the “Pinball Region” may be changed as well as
viewed to ensure that bonded and no separation contact is
established, even if a gap is present.
• Please refer to Chapters 3 and 4 for discussions on the pinball region
and how to define its size

• 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
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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Loads and Supports Training Manual

• Structural and thermal loads not used in free vibration

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– See Section B later in this chapter for a discussion on free
vibration with pre-stress analysis. In this situation, loads are
considered but only for their pre-stress effects.

• 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 0 or near 0 Hz.
Unlike static structural analyses, free vibration analyses do
not require that rigid-body motion be prevented.
– The boundary conditions are important, as they 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
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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Requesting Results Training Manual

• Most of the options for free vibration analyses are

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similar to that of static analysis. However,
Simulation knows to perform a free vibration
analysis when the Frequency Finder tool is
selected under the Solutions Branch
– The Frequency Finder tool adds another branch to
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 The minimum and
maximum range (in Hz)
solution time. can be specified if “Limit
Search to Range” is
– The search may be limited to a specific frequency enabled. Note that this
works in conjunction with
range of interest by selecting “Yes” on “Limit “Max Modes to Find.” If
not enough modes are
Search to Range. requested, not all modes
in the frequency range
• By default, frequencies beginning from 0 Hz may be found.
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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Requesting Results Training Manual

• Under the Frequency Finder branch are

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the requests requested
– When toggling “Max Modes to Find” under
the Frequency Finder branch, more mode
shapes will automatically be added. The
user does not need to request mode
shapes from the Context toolbar.
– 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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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Requesting Results Training Manual

• The corresponding ANSYS commands for the Frequency

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Finder branch are as follows:
– If Frequency Finder branch is present, ANTYPE,MODAL is set
– The number of modes is set with the nmodes argument, and
the beginning and ending search frequencies are specified
with freqb and freqe of the MODOPT,,nmodes,freqb,freqe
command
– All modes are expanded via the MXPAND command. To save
disk space and calculation times, the element solution option
of MXPAND is not turned on unless stress or strain results are
requested.

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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Solution Options Training Manual

• The solution branch provides details on the type of

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analysis being performed
– For a free vibration analysis, none of the options in the Details
view of the Solution branch usually need to be changed.
• In the majority of cases, “Solver Type” should be left on the default
option of “Program Controlled”.
• If the model is a very large one of solid elements, and only a few
modes are to be requested, the “Solver Type,” when changed to
“Iterative,” may be more efficient.
– The “Analysis Type” will display
“Free Vibration.”

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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Solution Options Training Manual

• For a regular modal analysis, none of the solution options

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except for “Solver Type” have much effect
– “Large Deflection” and “Weak Springs” are meant for static
analysis cases and should not be changed.
– “Solver Type” can be set to “Direct” or “Iterative”
• “Program Controlled” or “Direct” result in the Block Lanczos
eigenvalue extraction method with the sparse direct equation
solver (MODOPT,LANB and EQSLV,SPARSE). This is the most
robust eigensolver, as it handles small & large models and beam,
shell, or solid meshes, so it is the default option.
• “Iterative” results in the PowerDynamics solution method, which is
a combination of the subspace eigenvalue extraction method with
the PCG equation solver (MODOPT,SUBSP and EQSLV,PCG). The
PowerDynamics eigensolver can be efficient for large models of
solid elements, when requesting only a few modes.

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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Solving the Model Training Manual

• After setting up the model, one can solve the free vibration

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analysis just like any other analysis by selecting the Solve
button.
– A free vibration analysis is generally more computationally
expensive than a static analysis on the same model because
of the equations solved.
– If a “Solution Information” branch
is requested under the Solution
branch, detailed solution output,
including the amount of memory
used and solution progress, will
be available in the Worksheet tab.
– 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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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Reviewing Results Training Manual

• After solution, mode shapes can be reviewed

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– 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 button on the
Results Context toolbar can be
used to help visualize the mode
shapes better.

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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Reviewing Results Training Manual

• The Worksheet tab of the Frequency Finder branch

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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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 Free Vibration Analysis
B. Free Vibration with Pre-Stress Training Manual

• In some cases, one may want to consider prestress effects

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when performing a free vibration analysis.
– The stress state of a structure under constant (static) loads
may affect its natural frequencies. This can be important,
especially for structures thin in one or two dimensions.
– 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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Free Vibration Analysis
… Free Vibration with Pre-Stress Training Manual

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

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iterations are automatically performed:
• 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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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Procedure w/ Pre-Stress Effects Training Manual

• To perform a free vibration with pre-stress analysis (a.k.a.

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prestressed modal analysis), it 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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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Example w/ Pre-Stress Effects Training Manual

• Consider a simple comparison of a thin plate fixed at one

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

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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Example w/ Pre-Stress Effects Training Manual

• Notice that the only difference of running

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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 can be reported.

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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Example w/ Pre-Stress Effects Training Manual

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

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

Free Vibration Free Vibration with Pre-Stress

1st mode frequency: 141 Hz 1st mode frequency: 184 Hz

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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Prestressed Modal Analysis Training Manual

• For prestressed modal analysis, Simulation performs the

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two necessary iterations internally:
– A linear static analysis with PSTRES,ON is run
– A modal analysis is then run right afterwards with PSTRES,ON
to consider prestress effects

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 Free Vibration Analysis
… Prestressed Modal Analysis Training Manual

• Other items useful for ANSYS users to keep in mind:

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– No large-deflection prestress effects are currently supported
in Simulation, so enabling the “Large Deflection: On” in the
Solution branch is not permitted.
– The equation solver for the static analysis and the eigensolver
for the modal analysis currently cannot be independently set.
Both will be affected by the “Solver Type” setting in the
Solution branch.
– If a Point Mass is present, rigid-body modes may be
introduced in a prestressed modal analysis. This is due to the
fact that the RBE3-type of surface constraint defined with
CONTA174 and TARGE170 introduce 6 DOF but the MASS21
element has no rotary inertial terms (3 DOF).
• The user can usually ignore these rigid-body modes, as they are
associated with the MASS21 elements (verify by checking
displacement scale of these mode shapes).
• No such problems exist for a regular modal with Point Masses. April 22, 2004
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Free Vibration Analysis
C. Workshop 5 Training Manual

• Workshop 5 – Free Vibration Analysis

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

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