Free vibration analysis of rotating tapered Timoshenko beams via variational iteration method

Abstract

Accurate determination of natural frequencies and mode shapes of the rotating tapered Timoshenko beam is important in engineering practice. This paper re-examines the free vibration of rotating tapered Timoshenko beams using the technique of variational iteration, which is relatively new and is capable of providing accurate solutions for eigenvalue problems in a quite easy way. Natural frequencies and mode shapes for rotating tapered Timoshenko beams with linearly varying height as well as linearly varying height and width are investigated via two numerical examples, and solutions are compared with results published in literature where available. Since the method constitutes a numerical procedure, the convergence of solutions which is important for practical implementation is evaluated as well, where efficiency and accuracy of variational iteration method in solving high order eigenvalue problems are demonstrated.