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What Is FEA Modal Analysis

FEA modal analysis is a method used to calculate the natural frequencies of a system, helping to identify potentially destructive resonance frequencies. Unlike static analysis, which assumes time independence, modal analysis focuses solely on the geometry of the model without considering external loads. Understanding these natural frequencies is crucial for predicting how a system will respond to dynamic loading conditions.

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4 views6 pages

What Is FEA Modal Analysis

FEA modal analysis is a method used to calculate the natural frequencies of a system, helping to identify potentially destructive resonance frequencies. Unlike static analysis, which assumes time independence, modal analysis focuses solely on the geometry of the model without considering external loads. Understanding these natural frequencies is crucial for predicting how a system will respond to dynamic loading conditions.

Uploaded by

Chandana
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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What is FEA modal analysis?

| Learn the
basics about it
November 18, 2016 by Cyprien 57 Comments

Modal analysis is, along with linear static analysis, one of the 2 most common types of FE
analysis. If you don’t know about those, you’ll have to review your fea basics. That’s what
we’ll do here!

In this short article, I’ll talk about:

 What is modal analysis


 Why it is important to know about it

The difference between static and dynamic analysis


Static analysis means that we are making the assumption that the system we are
simulating doesn’t depend on time.

Whatever the time period we observe the system, it will remain always the same.

It implies of course that the loads and boundary conditions don’t depend on time either.

In reality, this is a hypothesis, because every load has to be applied from a time t=0 sec

To take that in account, in static analysis, we just say that the load is applied « infinitely
slowly » so there is no discontinuity during the load application.

Now…we can only do static analysis in certain cases where we can effectively do the
assumption that the model can be considered as static…

There are cases in which the loading itself (or the system) is dynamic and thus we
have to perform a dynamic analysis.

For example:

If you want to analyze an object falling on the ground, this is an impact… you understand
intuitively that the reaction of the floor will first not apply when the object is in the air and AS
SOON AS the object touches the ground, the reaction of the ground suddenly applies and
impact the object. The application of the load is short AND intense. This type of
phenomenon is 100% dynamic.

Here is an illustration (pardon my poor drawing skills…):


Dynamic Loadings can have various temporal distributions and it definitely has an impact
on the system.

To Resume:

 In static analysis, the system and the boundary conditions don’t depend on time.
What matters is the intensity of the load.
 In dynamic analysis, there is a time dependency. What matters is the intensity of the
load AND the temporal distribution of the loading.

Cyclic loadings (fea basics)


I think that this is generally understood, but a short reminder is always good.

Cyclic loads have a certain frequency, period and intensity.


Cyclic loadings are transient loads. If you want to understand more about transient and
steady-state and really understand the difference, I wrote another article about the topic in
the past here.

The response of mechanical systems to cyclic loadings


To explain things simply, you can say that the response of a system to a dynamic loading
can be like the following:

1. The intensity of the response can converge


2. The system can oscillate
3. The intensity of the system can diverge

In all cases, we want to avoid the 3rd type of response, because it means that the system will
break

Example:

Consider a kid on a swing.

The swing is the mechanical system and the kid provides a forced excitation input.

If the kid’s excitation load has a frequency which becomes close to the swing’s natural
frequency, the swing goes up and up and the oscillations increase.

This phenomenon is called « resonance ».

(You can imagine that if the kid continues to push, he will be ejected—> that’s dangerous ;-)
)

The same can happen for any mechanical system that oscillates or vibrates.
Resonance can be dangerous… and in case you don’t know… bridges have broken like
that in the past because the frequency of the wind was matching the natural frequency of
the bridge!

Watch this video if you don’t believe me:

When does it happen?


It happens when the system enters in « resonance » with the frequency of the input loading.

Which means:

When the frequency of the input load is equal to the « resonance » frequency of the system.

Now that you know that, you understand that it is absolutely critical to be able to calculate
the resonance frequency of a system

—> That’s what Modal analysis does for you! :)

(Note that the « resonance » frequencies and commonly called « natural frequencies » or
« mode frequencies »)

So what is modal analysis??


To explain it simply, modal analysis is a simple way to calculate the natural frequencies of
your system so you know which frequencies can be destructive and dangerous for it.

Here a video I just created to show you how to perform simple modal analysis:

Why there is no load in a modal analysis?


That’s a question I often get about fea basics

Modal analysis calculates the natural frequencies of the system alone.

Modal is the simplest analysis and the only thing it does is telling you what are the
“resonance frequencies” of your geometry. It isn’t related to a loading at this stage, only to
the geometry. Resonance frequencies change due to the shape of your model and the way
it is constrained only.

Because generally, once you noted the dangerous natural frequencies, you actually want to
know:
“If I excite my model at this dangerous frequency, how much deformation will I really get?”

This is done use other types of analysis called « Time response dynamic analysis » or
« Frequency response dynamic analysis » fe

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