A new family of high‐order triangular weight functions for mass lumping in vibration analysis

Abstract

In the conventional finite element method, only a few types of elements can directly use the weight functions to generate a proper, diagonally lumped mass matrix (LMM), which satisfies mass conservation and positive definiteness. This study proposes a new set of weight functions that can be efficiently constructed and used for generating a proper LMM based on classical 6‐, 9‐, and 10‐node triangular elements. Furthermore, we prove that these new elements are all complete and consistent, which ensures the convergence of the numerical solution. Finally, some modal and forced/free vibration analyses are conducted to demonstrate the computational accuracy and validation of the proposed LMM.