Modal analysis provides valuable insight into the dynamic characteristics of a structure. It provides engineers with information regarding how the design will respond to different types of dynamic loading and can be used, for example, to avoid resonant vibrations that can be harmful to the structure. The modal analysis calculates natural frequencies and mode shapes of the structure. In addition, participation factors and effective mass provide information about the most prominent modes in certain directions that will be excited by the forces in those directions, and whether enough modes have been extracted for further analysis such as harmonic, response spectrum, or random vibration.
0:50 - Introduction to Modal Analysis
1:39 - Calculate Natural Frequencies and Mode Shapes
3:23 - Understanding Participation Factor
4:32 - Understanding Effective Mass
Download the accompanying geometry and archived files here. The student version of Ansys Simulation Software can be downloaded here.