Journal of Sound and Vibration (1986) 105(2), 199-210

TRANSVERSE VIBRATIONS OF A ROTATING UNIFORM

CANTILEVER BEAM WITH TIP MASS AS PREDICTED BY
USING BEAM CHARACTERISTIC ORTHOGONAL
POLYNOMIALS IN THE RAYLEIGH-RITZ METHOD

R. B. BHAT
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Concordin University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

(Received 30 November 1984)

Natural frequencies and mode shapes of a rotating uniform cantilever beam with a tip
mass are studied by using beam characteristic orthogonal polynomials in the Rayleigh-Ritz
method. The set of orthogonal polynomials which satisfy the geometrical boundary
conditions are generated by using the Gram-Schmidt process. The results are compared
with those obtained by the Myklestad method, the extended Galerkin method and finite
element methods. The variation of natural frequencies with the speed of rotation is plotted
for several parameter combinations such as setting angle, tip mass, moment of inertia of
tip mass, etc. Mode shapes at different rotational speeds are also plotted. Use of orthogonal
polynomials for the deflection shapes enables the computation of higher natural frequencies
of any order to be accomplished without facing any numerical difficulties, which is not
the case when arbitrary polynomial expressions are used.

1. INTRODUCTION
The dynamic behavior of a rotating beam is of practical interest since it is possible to
develop such a model for several engineering structures. Some examples are steam and
gas turbine blades, helicopter rotor blades and spinning spacecraft. Sometimes tip masses
are added to such rotating structures to enhance their functional properties, such as
increasing the air flow in a wind turbine or increasing the flexing motion in a flexible
blade automotive cooling fan.
Energy expressions for a rotating beam undergoing transverse vibrations were derived
by Carnegie [l] and he obtained the fundamental frequency of vibration by using
Rayleigh’s method. Schilhansl[2], Rubinstein and Stadter [3] and Rnuelli [4] investigated
the vibrations of rotating cantilever beams and found that the rotation of the beam tended
to increase the natural frequencies of flexural vibration above those for the non-rotating
beam. Subrahmanyam et al. [5] used the Reissner method to obtain the natural frequencies
of rotating blades of asymmetric aerofoil cross section with allowance for shear deflection
and rotary inertia and showed that the method gives results which are superior to those
obtained by using the potential energy expression in the Ritz method. The effects of hub
radius and tip mass on the bending natural frequencies of rotating beams were studied
by Handleman et aL [a], Lo et al. [7] and Boyce and Handleman [8]. Anderson [9]
formulated the non-linear equations of motion, and linearized them for the longitudinal
and flexural deformations of a rotating bar carrying a tip mass. Subsequently, he solved
them employing the Ritz method with very complicated expressions as shape functions.
Kumar [lo] used the Myklestad method to obtain both out of plane and in-plane vibration
frequencies of rotating beams with tip mass. Wang et al. [l l] employed the extended
199
0022460X/86/050199+ 12 .$03.00/O @ 1986 Academic Press Inc. (London) Limited
200 R. B. BHAT

Galerkin method using shifted Legendre polynomials as shape functions. Putter and
Manor [12], Hoa [13] and Hoa et al. [14], used finite element methods to solve for the
natural frequencies in flexural vibrations of a rotating beam with tip mass. Wright er al.
[15] used the method of Frobenius to solve for the exact frequencies and mode shapes
for rotating beams in which both the flexural rigidity and the mass distribution vary linearly.
In the present paper the beam characteristic orthogonal polynomials proposed by Bhat
[16, 171 are used in the Rayleigh-Ritz method to solve for the natural frequencies in
flexural vibrations of a rotating cantilever beam with a tip mass at the free end. These
orthogonal polynomials satisfy the geometrical boundary conditions of the rotating beam
and are generated by using the Gram-Schmidt process [18]. Natural frequencies and
mode shapes obtained are presented, compared with those obtained by other methods
and discussed.

2. ANALYSIS

The rotating cantilever beam has an area of cross section A, length I, modulus of
elasticity of material E and has a material density p. It is mounted on the periphery of
a disc of radius R. The rotational speed of the beam is o. As shown in Figure 1, the xyz

Figure 1. Rotating cantilever beam.

co-ordinate axis system is chosen such that the x and y axes are in the plane of beam
cross section and are the principal centroidal axes of inertia in that plane and the z axis
is along the beam. XYZ is another orthogonal axis system with the 2 axis along the
beam and the X2 plane containing the plane of disc rotation. The origin of both the xyz
and XYZ co-ordinate systems is at the root of the beam where it is fixed to the disc. The
angle 8 between the Y and X axes is the setting angle. The potential energy of the system,
for pure bending, is
1

v=$
I 0
EI,(y”)2 di, (1)
 ROTATING CANTILEVER WITH TIP MASS 201

where 1, is the least moment of inertia of the beam cross section, i is the non-dimensional
axial length, z/l, and ( )’ indicates differentiation with respect to Z The kinetic energy
of the system is the sum of that due to the flexural motion of the beam, T’_and that due
to rotation, T, where

(2)

(3)

where a dot represents differentiation with respect to time and a subscript 1 represents
the value of the subscripted quantity at z’= 1. The total kinetic energy is
T= Tf+ T, (4)
and the Lagrangian is given by
L=T-V. (5)
For harmonic motion,
y = Y exp (ipt), (6)
the time averaged value of the Lagrangian is obtained as
*r/p
E= L dt. (7)
I0
In terms of the dimensionless parameters
.ri=R/l, r”?= Ix/Al*, lY*= Ao2 3

r\= pA14/ EI, in = WIgpA u = Iw/pA13, q* = lip*, (8)

the time averaged value of the Lagrangian can be written as

The shape function is assumed to be a linear combination of beam characteristic

orthogonal polynomials

Y= c” c&(Z), (10)
i=l
where the Ci are arbitrary coe5cients which are to be determined. Each orthogonal
polynomial in this shape function satisfies the geometrical boundary conditions at the
fixed end of the cantilever beam. The set of orthogonal polynomials is generated by using
the Gram-Schmidt process as demonstrated by Bhat [16, 171 and is explained in the
Appendix. Upon applying the Ritz process, one obtains the homogeneous simultaneous
equations
aL/aci = 0, i=l,2, . ..) N, (11)
202 R. B. BHAT

which can be cast in the form of a standard eigenvalue problem,

dA1 - LB1= 0, (12)

and eigenvalues and eigenmodes can be obtained by solving this equation. The advantage
of using orthogonal polynomial expressions for the deflection shapes is that the matrix
[A] becomes diagonal.

3. NUMERICAL RESULTS

Natural frequencies and mode shapes have been obtained for a rotating cantilever
beam at various rotational speeds for different values of tip mass, setting angle and
moment of inertia of tip mass. The results are compared in what follows with those
obtained by using other methods [ 10, 11, 131.
A convergency test was made by varying the number of terms considered in the
polynomial shape function. The results are presented up to five modes in Tables 1-3. It
is seen that convergence is quite good.

TABLE 1

Convergency of natural frequency with number of terms

Natural frequency, n = pi%

‘No. of Mode Mode Mode Mode Mode‘
tertns I II III IV V

2 0.868 3.395
3 0.868 3.391 24.144
4 O-868 3.391 24.127 64.929
5 0.868 3.391 24.019 64.899 130.044
6 0.868 3.391 24.019 63.488 129.957
7 0.868 3.391 24.019 63.487 122.998
8 0.868 3.391 24.019 63463 122.995

Setting angle 0 = 90";angula: velocity a = 0; tip mass p = 1; moment of inertia

of tip mass v = 1; hub radius R = 1.

TABLE 2

Convergency of natural frequency with number of terms

Natural frequency, TJ= pa

‘No. of Mode Mode Mode Mode Mode’

terms I II III IV V

2 3.080 8.530
3 2.742 8.529 39.325
4 2.683 8.363 39.318
5 2.675 8.362 39.219 86.252 153.741
6 2.675 8.358 39.214 85.875 153.735
7 2.675 8.358 39.210 85.862 149.132
8 2.675 8.358 39.209 85.845 149.111

Setting angle 0 = 90’; angula_r velocity a = 5; tip mass * = 1; moment of inertia

of tip mass c = 1; hub radius R = 1.
 ROTATING CANTILEVER WITH TIP MASS 203

TABLE 3

Convergency of natural frequency with number of terms

Natural frequency, q = pa
r 7
No. of Mode Mode Mode Mode Mode
terms I II III IV V

2 5.546 16.168
3 4.385 16.164 66.640
4 3.965 15.550 66.550 130.915
5 3.826 15.549 65.284 130.716 209.888
6 3.791 15.492 65.279 130.636 209.549
7 3.784 15.492 65.167 130.589 208.005
8 3.783 15.489 65.165 130.519 207.855

Setting angle 0 = 90”; angulal velocity a = 10; tip mass p = 1; moment of inertia
of tip mass CT=1; hub radius R = 1.

Natural frequencies of the rotating beam for different rotational speeds and several
parametrical combinations are shown in Figures 2-7. The present results are compared
with those available by previous authors wherever possible.
The variation of the natural frequency, 7, with rotational velocity, (Y, is shown in Figure
2, for the first mode and for several values of tip mass parameters. For infinite tip mass,

OVI I II I I I I I I I
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 9 10
Angular veloaty (a)

Figure 2. Variation of natural frequency with speed for different tip masses. (T= 0, j? = 0, 6 = 90”. -,
Present method; - - -, extended Galerkin method [ll]; - - -, finite element method [13]; - * -, Myklestad
method [lo].

the natural frequency starts at zero for zero rotational speed and increases linearly with
a slope of unity, indicating that for this case, the lateral vibration is synchronous with
the rotational speed. For lower values of tip mass, the increase in natural frequency with
rotational velocity is smaller than that for infinite tip mass at lower rotational velocities;
204 R. B. BHAT

however, they increase linearly at the same rate as in the case of infinite tip mass at higher
rotational speeds. For the case of zero tip mass, the results are compared in Figure 2
with those of Kumar [IO], Wang et al. [ll] and Hoa [13]. The present results lie below
those from the extended Galerkin method [ 1l] and finite element method [ 131 and above
those from the Myklestad method [lo].
The effect of the setting angle on the variation of natural frequency with rotational
speed is shown in Figure 3 for the case of zero tip mass. The increase in natural frequency

90’
11 -

10 - 60

9-
45’

6-

30’

15’
0”

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 9 10
Angular velocity (0)

Figure 3. Variation of natural frequency with speed for different setting angles. p= 0, (T= 0, R’= 0.

0 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 910
Angular velocity (a)

Figure 4. Vsriation of natural frequency with speed for different setting angles. - - - -, [13]; -x-, [lo];
~‘1, a=O, R=O.
 ROTATING CANTILEVER WITH TIP MASS 205
is larger for higher setting angles, and for any setting angle the increase is linear at higher
rotational speeds. The effect of setting angle on the natural frequency with the tip mass
value p= 1 is shown in Figure 4. The results are compared with those from references
[ 10, 131. For the case of zero setting angle, the present results are below those from the
Myklestad method, but quite close to them. Since the results shown from references [ 10,

35 -

30-

: 25-

E
s
2 20-

P
2
P 15-

10-

01 I I I I I I I I I I
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Angular velocity (a)

Figure 5. Variation of natural frequency with speed for different hub radii. -X -, [ 101; - - -, [ll]; - - -,
[13]; /.L=o, a=O.

100

00

30

20

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Angular vehty (a)

Figure 6. Variation of second and third modes with speed for different tip masses. -x--, [lo]; - - -, [ 111;
---, [13]; u=O; R=O; ~9=90”.
206 R. B. BHAT

11, 131 have been read from the graphs, it is not possible to attach much significance to
small differences.
The effect of hub radius, I?, on the natural frequencies is shown in Figure 5 for setting
angles of zero and 90”. With higher values of l? the natural frequencies are higher and
increase faster with the rotational speed.
Natural frequencies of modes 2 and 3 are plotted against the rotational speed in Figure
6 for several tip mass values. As in the case of the first mode, the natural frequency
decreases with higher tip mass in the region of zero rotational speed. However, unlike
in the case of the first mode, the natural frequencies increase faster with higher rotational
speeds when the tip mass is increased. In general, the results are in good agreement with
previous results, which are also plotted in Figure 6 for comparison.
The effect of moment of inertia of the tip mass, a, on the natural frequencies of the
first mode is shown in Figure 7 for the case of zero setting angle and tip mass p = 1. It

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Angular velocity L-I)

Figure 7. Variation of natural frequency with speed for different moments of inertia of tip mass. p= 1, g = 0,
fl=O”.

is interesting to see that when the moment of inertia is very high the natural frequency
tends to zero for any rotational speed. For smaller values of moment of inertia, natural
frequency increases with speed. The same trend is observed for the case of a 90” setting
angle as shown in Figure 8.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Anqulor velmty (a)

Figure 8. Variation of natural frequency with speed. p = 1, d = 0, 0 = 90”.

 ROTATING CANTILEVER WITH TIP MASS 207

00
00 02 04 06 10
z-

Figure 9. Variation of first mode with speed. p = 0, D = 0, d = 0, 0 = 90”.

12

I
z
Of3

04

o-o
0
z-

Figure 10. Variation of first mode with speed. or.= 1, D = 0, i = 0, 0 = 90’.

Figure 11. Variation of second mode with speed. p = 0, v = 0, r?:= 0, @= 90”.

208 R. B. BHAT

The variation of the fundamental mode shape with the rotational speed is shown in
Figure 9 for the case of zero tip mass and in Figure 10 for the case of tip mass parameter
1_1=1. The mode shapes are normalized to a value of unity at the tip. It is seen that as
the rotational speed (Yincreases, the beam tries to straighten itself more and more and
this behavior is enhanced by the presence of a tip mass. The variation of the shape of
second mode with rotational speed is shown in Figure 11 for the case of zero tip mass
and in Figure 12 for a tip mass parameter p = 1. The beam has a tendency to straighten
itself as the rotational speed increases and, as in the case of the fundamental mode, the
presence of a tip mass enhances this behaviour.

60

-0 5L

Figure 12. Variation of second mode with speed. p = 1, (r = 0, k = 0, ~9= 90”.

4. CONCLUSIONS
Natural frequencies and mode shapes of a rotating uniform cantilever beam with tip
mass have been studied by using a set of beam characteristic orthogonal polynomials in
the Rayleigh-Ritz method. The resulting normal mode shapes thus have been obtained
as simple polynomials which are very convenient. Natural frequencies and mode shapes
have been presented for different rotational speeds and for different parameter combina-
tions such as tip mass, hub radius, setting angles, etc. The results agree closely with those
obtained by other methods. In conclusion, use of beam characteristic orthogonal poly-
nomials in Rayleigh-Ritz method provides good results for the transverse vibrations of
rotating beams.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by the National Research Council of Canada Grant A 1375.

REFERENCES
1. W. CARNEGIE 1959Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science 1,235-240. Vibrations of rotating
cantilever blading: theoretical approaches to the frequency problem based on energy methods.
2. M. J. SCHILHANSL 1958 Journal of Applied Mechanics 25, 28-30. Bending frequency of a
rotating cantilever beam.
3. N. RUBINSTEIN and J.T. STADTER 1972 Journal of the Franklin Institute 294, 217. Bounds
to bending frequencies of a rotating beam.
4. D. PNUELLI 1972 Journal of Applied Mechanics 39, 602-604. Natural bending frequency
comparable to rotational frequency in rotating cantilever beam.
 ROTATING CANTILEVER WITH TIP MASS 209

5. K. B. SUBRAHMANYAM, S. V. KULKARNI and J. S. RAO 1981 Journal ofSound and Vibration

75, 17-36. Coupled bending-torsion vibrations of rotating blades of asymmetric aerofoil cross
section with allowance for shear deflection and rotary inertia by use of the Reissner method.
6. G. HANDLEMAN, W. BOYCE and H. COHEN 1958 Third U.S. National Congress of Applied
Mechanics, 175-180. Vibrations of a uniform rotating beam with tip mass. _ __
7. H. Lo, J. E. GOLDBERG and J. H. BOGDANOFF 1960 Journal ofApplied Mechanics 27,548-550.
Effect of small hub radius change on bending frequencies of a rotating beam.
8. W. E. BOYCE and G. HANDLEMAN 1961Zeitschrift fur Angewundte Mathematik und Physik
12, 369-392. Vibrations of rotating beams with tip mass.
9. G. L. ANDERSON 1975 International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics 10, 223-236. On the
extensional and flexural vibrations of rotating bars.
10. R. KUMAR 1974 Transactions of the C.A.S.Z. 7, l-5. Vibrations of space booms under
centrifugal force field.
11. J. T. H. WANG, 0. MAHRENHOLTZ and J. BOHM 1976 Solid Mechanics Reviews 1, 341-365.
Extended Galerkin’s method for rotating beam vibrations using Legendre polynomials.
12. S. PUrrERand H. MANOR 1978 JoumalofSoundand Vibration 56,175-185. Natural frequencies
of radial rotating beams.
13. S. V. HOA 1979 Journal of Sound and Vibration 67, 369-381. Vibration of a rotating beam with
tip mass.
14. S. V. HOA, D. H. HODGES and M. J. RUTKOWSKI 1980 Journal of Sound and Vibration 72,
547-549. Comments on vibrations of a rotating beam with tip mass.
15. A. D. WRIGHT, C. E. SMITH, R. W. THRESHER and J. L. C. WANG 1982 Journal of Applied
Mechanics 49, 197-202. Vibration modes of centrifugally stiffened beams.
16. R. B. BHAT 1985 Journal of Sound and Vibration 102,493-499. Natural frequencies of rectangular
plates using characteristic orthogonal polynomials in Rayleigh-Ritz method.
17. R. B. BHAT 1985 Proceedings of the 3rd International Modal Analysis Conference, Orlando,
Florida. Vibration of rectangular plates using beam characteristic orthogonal polynomials in
Rayleigh-Ritz method.
18. T. S. CHIHARA 1978 Introduction to Orthogonal Polynomials. London: Gordon and Breach.

APPENDIX
BEAM CHARACTERISTIC ORTHOGONAL POLYNOMIALS
The first member of the orthogonal polynomial set &(x) is chosen as the simplest
polynomial of the least order that satisfies both the geometrical and the natural boundary
conditions of the beam. The other members of the orthogonal set in the interval a < x s b
are generated by using the Gram-Schmidt process [18] as follows:

42(x) = (x-&M,(x), . * . , AC(X) = (x- &h#k,(X) - G&k-Z(X), (Al)

I/[1
b b
where Bk =
[I a
xW>&-,(x, dx
a
w(x>&-,(x1 dx
I
,

c, = ~w(~h-,(~M-z(~) dx w(xM-z(x) dx
1
and w(x) is the weighting function. For uniform beams the weighting function, w(x), is
unity. The polynomials &(x) satisfy the orthogonality condition
b
ifk#l
w(xMdxMdx) dx = ;,,
ifk=l ’
W)
D
Even though +t(x) satisfies all the boundary conditions, both geometric and natural, the
other members of the orthogonal set satisfy only geometric boundary conditions.
For the present problem of a rotating beam with a tip mass, the natural boundary
conditions at the free end are non-homogeneous and depend on the frequency of vibration.
Hence, the first member polynomial #Q(X) is chosen so as to satisfy the two homogeneous
210 R. 8. BHAT

geometrical boundary conditions at the fixed end, which are

91(O) = MO) = 0. W)
Consider the deflection function
4,(x) = a()+ a,x+ &X2. (A4)
Substituting the boundary conditions (A3) in the deflection function (A4) enables the
coe5cients Ui to be determined to yield
4*(x) = a2x2. (A%
The constant a2 is appropriately chosen to satisfy the normalization condition

O1&x) dx = 1. (AN
I
By using the first member polynomial 4,(x), the other numbers of the set are constructed
according to equation (Al).