Natural Frequencies of Plate Systems using the Edge Effect Method

Abstract

In this paper the Bolotin edge effect method is used to consider the free flexural vibrations of systems built up from rectangular plates. The constituent plates of the systems are considered either to lie in the same plane and form part of a plate continuous over line supports or to lie in planes at right angles to each other, as in box constructions.The application of the edge effect method to single-and multi-plate systems is described and the approximate frequency equations for two two-plate systems are given. The first 10 natural frequency parameters for these two systems for particular side ratios are compared with those obtained using a series solution and agreement is shown to be good. A few frequency parameters for a closed box computed using the edge effect method and the series solution are also compared.The range of plate systems to which the edge effect method may be applied with complete success and the range to which it may be applied with only partial success are indicated.The sources of errors in the edge effect solutions are indicated.