Dynamic Response of a Cantilevered Beam Under Combined Moving Moment, Torque and Force

Abstract

This paper studies the dynamic response of a cantilevered beam subjected to a moving moment and torque, and combination of them with a moving force. The moving loads are considered to traverse along the length of the beam either from fixed-to-free end or free-to-fixed end. The beam is considered to have constant material and geometric properties. The beam is modeled using the Rayleigh beam theory considering the rotary inertia effects. The Dirac-delta function used to model the moving loads in the governing partial differential equations (PDEs) has complicated the solution of the problem. The Eigenfunction expansions coupled with the Laplace transformation method is used to find the semi-analytical solution for the resulting governing PDEs. The effects of moving loads on the dynamic response are studied. The dynamic effects are quantified based on the number of oscillations per unit travel time of the moving load and the Dynamic Amplification Factor (DAF) of the beam’s tip response. Numerical results are also analyzed for the two-speed regimes, namely high-speed and low-speed regimes, defined with respect to the critical speed of the moving loads. The accuracy of the analytical solutions are verified by the finite element analysis. The numerical results show that the loads moving with low speeds have significant impact on the dynamic response compared to high speeds. Also, the moving moment has significant impact on the amplitude of dynamic response compared with the moving force case.