INTRODUCTION

7. Linear Dynamics
A static analysis is sufficient if you are interested in the long-term response of a structure to applied loads.
However, if the duration of the applied load is short (such as in an earthquake) or if the loading is dynamic
in nature (such as that from rotating machinery), you must perform a dynamic analysis. This chapter
discusses linear dynamic analysis in Abaqus/Standard; see Chapter 9, “Nonlinear Explicit Dynamics,”
for a discussion of nonlinear dynamic analysis in Abaqus/Explicit.

7.1 Introduction

A dynamic simulation is one in which inertia forces are included in the dynamic equation of equilibrium:

where
M is the mass of the structure,
is the acceleration of the structure,
I are the internal forces in the structure, and
P are the applied external forces.
The expression in the equation shown above is nothing more than Newton’s second law of motion (
).
The inclusion of the inertial forces ( ) in the equation of equilibrium is the major difference
between static and dynamic analyses. Another difference between the two types of simulations is in the
definition of the internal forces, I. In a static analysis the internal forces arise only from the deformation
of the structure; in a dynamic analysis the internal forces contain contributions created by both the motion
(i.e., damping) and the deformation of the structure.

7.1.1 Natural frequencies and mode shapes

The simplest dynamic problem is that of a mass oscillating on a spring, as shown in Figure 7–1.
The internal force in the spring is given by so that its dynamic equation of motion is

7–1
INTRODUCTION

Stiffness, k
Displacement, u

Force, p
Mass, m

Figure 7–1 Mass-spring system.

This mass-spring system has a natural frequency (in radians/time) given by

If the mass is moved and then released, it will oscillate at this frequency. If the force is applied at
this frequency, the amplitude of the displacement will increase dramatically—a phenomenon known as
resonance.
Real structures have a large number of natural frequencies. It is important to design structures in
such a way that the frequencies at which they may be loaded are not close to the natural frequencies. The
natural frequencies can be determined by considering the dynamic response of the unloaded structure
( in the dynamic equilibrium equation). The equation of motion is then

For an undamped system , so

Solutions to this equation have the form

Substituting this into the equation of motion yields the eigenvalue problem

where .
This system has n eigenvalues, where n is the number of degrees of freedom in the finite element
model. Let be the jth eigenvalue. Its square root, , is the natural frequency of the jth mode of the
structure, and is the corresponding jth eigenvector. The eigenvector is also known as the mode shape
because it is the deformed shape of the structure as it vibrates in the jth mode.

7–2

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