MODAL ANALYSIS OF THE

FORCED RESPONSE FOR

MDOF
 Modelling Damping in MDOF

• Damping can also be modelled directly.

• Consider the system shown in the figure above.
• The equations of motion of this system can be found from
summing the forces on each mass, as before. This yields the
following equations of motion in matrix form:
• The damping matrix C, is defined by

• Here c1 and c2 refer to the damping coefficients indicated in Figure

above.

• The damping matrix C is symmetric and, in a general n-degree-of-

freedom system, will be an 𝑛 × 𝑛 matrix.

• Thus a damped n-dof system is modelled by equations of the form

i
• The difficulty with modelling damping in this fashion is that modal
analysis cannot in general be used to solve the eqn of motion unless
this relationship
• 𝐶𝑀−1 𝐾 = 𝐾𝑀−1 𝐶 holds

• This is true because the damping provides additional coupling

between the equations of motion that cannot always be decoupled by
the modal transformation S.

• Modal analysis can be used directly to solve equation of motion

if the damping matrix C can be written as a linear combination
of the mass and stiffness matrix, that is, if

ii
• where
𝛼 and 𝛽 are constants
• This form of damping is called proportional damping
• Substitution of equation (ii) into equation (i) yields:
(iii)

• Substitution of 𝐱(𝑡) = 𝑀−1/2 𝐪(𝑡) and multiplying by 𝑀−1/2

yields

(iv)

• substituting q(t) = Pr(t) and premultiplying by PT where P is

෩ yields
the matrix of eigenvectors of 𝐾,

(v)

This corresponds to the n decoupled modal equations

(vi)
Where:

or

(vii)

• Here 𝛼 and 𝛽 can be chosen to produce some measured (or desired,

in the design case) values of the modal damping ratio 𝜁𝑖
• On the other hand, if 𝛼 and 𝛽 are known, equation (vii) determines
the value of the modal damping ratios 𝜁𝑖 .
• The solution of equation (vi) for the underdamped case
(0 < 𝜁𝑖 <1) is

(viii)
Where:
• 𝐴𝑖 and 𝜙𝑖 are determined by applying the initial conditions on r(t).
• The solution in physical coordinates is then calculated from:
𝒙(𝑡) = 𝑆𝒓(𝑡),

• Where
• 𝑆 = 𝑀−1/2 P as before

• The most general case of proportional damping is if:

CM -1K = KM -1C holds.

• Note that if equation (ii) holds, then CM -1K = KM -1C is satisfied

FORCED RESPONSE
• The forced response of a multiple-degree-of-freedom
system can also be calculated by use of modal analysis

• For example, consider the building system of Figure 1 with

a force F4(t) applied to the fourth floor

• For example, this force could be the result of an out-of-

balance rotating machine on the fourth floor.

• The equation of motion takes the form

Eqn. 1
Fig 1: (a) A simple model of the horizontal vibration of a four-story building.
Here each floor is modelled as a lumped mass, and the walls are modelled as
providing horizontal stiffness. (b) The restoring forces acting on each mass
(floor).
 NOTE

• In modelling high rise buildings, it is known that most of the mass

is in the floor of each section
• The walls can be treated as massless columns providing lateral
stiffness.
• From the four storey building shown, the equations of motion of
each floor are:
• The matrix B is given by

On the other hand, if the different forces are applied at each degree
of freedom, B and F(t) would take on the form

Eqn. 2
• Alternately, if only a single force is applied at one coordinate, the
matrix B may be collapsed to the vector b and the applied force
reduces to the scalar F(t).

• For example, the single force F4(t) applied to the fourth coordinate
may also be written in eqn. 1 as 𝐛𝐹4(𝑡), where:
b = [0 0 0 1]T

• To this end, assume that the damping matrix C is proportional of

the form given by eqn. 1

• We let
• 𝒙(𝑡) = 𝑀−1/2 𝐪(𝑡) in eqn (1) and multiply by M -1/2. This
yields

Eqn. 3
Where
• 𝐶ሚ = 𝑀−1/2 𝐶𝑀−1/2
෩
• Next, calculate the eigenvalue problem for 𝐾
• Let 𝐪(𝑡) = P𝐫(𝑡),

Where:
෩ and multiply by PT.
• P is the matrix of eigenvectors of 𝐾
➢ This yields:

Eqn. 4

Where:
• The matrix diag [2ζi ωi] follows from equation (viii).
• The vector PTM-1/2 BF(t) has elements fi(t) that will be linear
combinations of the forces Fi applied to each mass.
• Hence the decoupled modal equations take the form
 Eqn. 5

• This has the solution for the underdamped case

Eqn. 6

where
• 𝑑𝑖 and 𝜙𝑖 must be determined by the modal initial conditions and
𝜔𝑑𝑖 = 𝜔𝑖 1 − 𝜁𝑖2 as before.
 EXAMPLE
Consider the simple 2DOF system with a harmonic force applied to one
mass as indicated in Figure below. Let m1 = 9 kg, m2 = 1 kg, k1 = 24 N/m,
and k2 = 3 N/m.

Also assume that the damping is proportional with 𝛼 = 0 and 𝛽= 0.1, so

that 𝑐1 = 2.4 N.s/m and 𝑐2 = 0.3 N.s/m.
Calculate the steady-state response

A damped 2-DOF system for the example

 Solution

The equations of motion in matrix form

become:

The matrices M1/2 and M-1/2 are:

𝐶ሚ and 𝐾
෩ become:
• The eigenvalue problem and corresponding natural frequencies for
෩ yields:
𝐾

𝜆1 = 2 𝜔1 = 2
𝜆2 = 4 𝜔2 = 2

ሚ and PT 𝐾
• The matrices PT 𝐶P ෩ P become:

Solving vector
• The vector 𝐟(𝑡) = 𝑃𝑇𝑀−1/2 𝐵𝐅(𝑡) becomes

• Hence the decoupled modal equations become

• Comparing the coefficient of 𝑟𝑖ሶ in each case to 2𝜁𝑖𝜔𝑖 yields

• Thus the damped natural frequencies become

• Note that while the force F2 is applied only to mass m2, it becomes
applied to both coordinates when transformed to modal coordinates

• The modal equations for r1 and r2 can be solved by Eqn. 6

• Note that the argument of the arctangent function is negative
( 22 − 22 < 0) so that the fourth quadrant angle must be used
yielding 2.9449 radians.
• The second mode particular solution is:

• The solution in the physical coordinate system is

• so that in the steady state

Note that even though there is a fair amount of damping in the

resonant mode, the coordinates each have a large component
vibrating near the resonant frequency
 Resonance in MDOF
• The concept of resonance in multiple-degree-of-freedom systems
is similar to that of single-degree-of-freedom systems.

• It is based on the idea that a harmonic driving force is exciting the

system at its natural frequency, causing an unbounded oscillation
in the undamped case and a response with a maximum amplitude
in the damped case.

• However, in multiple-degree-of-freedom systems, there are n

natural frequencies, and the concept of resonance is complicated
by the effects of mode shapes

• Basically, if a force is applied orthogonally to the mode of the

exciting frequency, the system will not resonate at any frequency,
a fact that can be used in design.
 EXAMPLE
Consider the following system and determine if the driving
frequency will cause the system to experience resonance

If so, which mode experiences resonance? Does this cause both

degrees of freedom to experience resonance?

Solution

First, compute the mass-normalized stiffness matrix and then the

eigenvalue problem for this system
• Eigenvalue are:
𝜆1 = 0.456956 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜆2 = 7.5986
• Natural frequencies are:
𝜔1 = 0.676 rad/s and 𝜔2 = 2.757 rad/s.
• Note that the second frequency is within round off to the driving
frequency so that this is a resonant system.

• Next, compute the modal equations.

• The modal equations are:

• Thus the second mode is clearly in resonance

• Note however that once transformed back to physical coordinates,

each mass will be affected by both modes

• That is, both x1(t) and x2(t) are a linear combination of r1(t) and r2(t).
Thus each mass will experience resonance

• This is because the transformation back to physical coordinates

couples the modal solutions.