Chapter Five

Vibration Analysis
Vibration Analysis
Chapter Overview Training Manual

• In this chapter, performing free vibration analyses in

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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. March 29, 2005
Inventory #002215
5-2
Vibration Analysis
Basics of Free Vibration Analysis Training Manual

• For a free vibration analysis, the natural circular

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

frequencies wi and mode shapes fi are calculated from:

K   w M f   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 {f} are relative values, not absolute

• It is important to remember these assumptions related to

performing free vibration analyses in Simulation. March 29, 2005
Inventory #002215
5-3
Vibration Analysis
A. Free Vibration Analysis Procedure Training Manual

• The free vibration analysis procedure is very similar to

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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

March 29, 2005

Inventory #002215
5-4
 Vibration Analysis
… Geometry and Point Mass Training Manual

• Similar to linear static analyses, any type of geometry

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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.
ANSYS License Availability
DesignSpace Entra x
DesignSpace x March 29, 2005
Professional x Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-5
 Vibration Analysis
… Material Properties Training Manual

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

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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

ANSYS License Availability

DesignSpace Entra x
DesignSpace x March 29, 2005
Professional x Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-6
 Vibration Analysis
… Contact Regions Training Manual

• Contact regions are available in free vibration analyses.

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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.
ANSYS License
DesignSpace Entra
Availability • The pinball region is automatically determined by default
DesignSpace x March 29, 2005
Professional x Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-7
 Vibration Analysis
… Contact Regions Training Manual

• For ANSYS Professional licenses and above, additional

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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.
ANSYS License
DesignSpace Entra
Availability
• It is not recommended to use frictional contact in a free
DesignSpace March 29, 2005
Professional / vibration analysis since it is nonlinear. Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-8
 Vibration Analysis
… Loads and Supports Training Manual

• Structural and thermal loads not used in free vibration

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

– 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
ANSYS License
DesignSpace Entra
Availability
x behave similar to a frictionless support.
DesignSpace x March 29, 2005
Professional x Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-9
 Vibration Analysis
… Requesting Results Training Manual

• Most of the options for free vibration analyses

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

are 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 The minimum and
number of modes to retrieve will increase the maximum range (in Hz)
can be specified if “Limit
solution time. Search to Range” is
enabled. Note that this
– The search may be limited to a specific frequency works in conjunction
with “Max Modes to
range of interest by selecting “Yes” on “Limit Find.” If not enough
modes are requested, not
Search to Range. all modes in the
frequency range may be

ANSYS License Availability

• By default, frequencies beginning from 0 Hz found.
DesignSpace Entra
DesignSpace
x
x (rigid-body modes) will be calculated if a March 29, 2005
Professional x Inventory #002215
Structural
Mechanical/Multiphysics
x
x
search range is not set. 5-10
 Vibration Analysis
… Requesting Results Training Manual

• Under the Frequency Finder branch are

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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.
ANSYS License Availability Recall that mode shapes are relative values
DesignSpace Entra x since no excitation is present. Hence,
DesignSpace x March 29, 2005
Professional x stresses and strains are also relative. Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-11
 Vibration Analysis
… Solution Options Training Manual

• The solution branch provides details on the type of analysis

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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.”

ANSYS License Availability

DesignSpace Entra x
DesignSpace x March 29, 2005
Professional x Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-12
 Vibration Analysis
… Solving the Model Training Manual

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

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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.
ANSYS License Availability
DesignSpace Entra x
DesignSpace x March 29, 2005
Professional x Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-13
 Vibration Analysis
… Reviewing Results Training Manual

• After solution, mode shapes can be reviewed

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

– 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.

ANSYS License Availability

DesignSpace Entra x
DesignSpace x March 29, 2005
Professional x Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-14
 Vibration Analysis
… Reviewing Results Training Manual

• The Worksheet tab of the Frequency Finder branch

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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

ANSYS License Availability

DesignSpace Entra x
DesignSpace x March 29, 2005
Professional x Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-15
Vibration Analysis
B. Workshop 5.1 – Free Vibration Training Manual

• Workshop 5.1 – Free Vibration Analysis

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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

March 29, 2005

Inventory #002215
5-16
 Vibration Analysis
C. Free Vibration with Pre-Stress Training Manual

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

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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.

ANSYS License Availability

DesignSpace Entra x
DesignSpace x March 29, 2005
Professional x Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-17
Vibration Analysis
… Free Vibration with Pre-Stress Training Manual

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

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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   wi M fi   0
March 29, 2005
Inventory #002215
5-18
 Vibration Analysis
… Procedure w/ Pre-Stress Effects Training Manual

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

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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

ANSYS License Availability

DesignSpace Entra x
DesignSpace x March 29, 2005
Professional x Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-19
 Vibration Analysis
… Example w/ Pre-Stress Effects Training Manual

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

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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

ANSYS License Availability

DesignSpace Entra x
DesignSpace x March 29, 2005
Professional x Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-20
 Vibration Analysis
… Example w/ Pre-Stress Effects Training Manual

• Notice that the only difference of running

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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.

ANSYS License Availability

DesignSpace Entra x
DesignSpace x March 29, 2005
Professional x Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-21
 Vibration Analysis
… Example w/ Pre-Stress Effects Training Manual

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

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

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

ANSYS License Availability

DesignSpace Entra x
DesignSpace x March 29, 2005
Professional x Inventory #002215
Structural x
Mechanical/Multiphysics x 5-22
Vibration Analysis
D. Workshop 5.2 – Prestressed Modal Training Manual

• Workshop 5.2 – Prestressed Modal Analysis

ANSYS Workbench – Simulation

• Goal: simulate the modal response of the tension link
(shown below) in both a stressed and unstressed state.

March 29, 2005

Inventory #002215
5-23