Sensitivity analysis for free vibration of rectangular plate

This paper presents an effective sensitivity analysis algorithm for free vibration of a rectangular plate structure by using the finite element-transfer stiffness coefficient method (FE-TSCM). The basic concept of FE-TSCM combines both the modeling technique of the finite element method (FEM) and the transfer technique of the transfer stiffness coefficient method (TSCM) in order to benefit from the merits of both FEM and TSCM in the dynamic analysis of a structure. From the results computing the sensitivities of eigenvalues and eigenvectors for a simply supported rectangular plate structure by FE-TSCM and Fox's method, we can confirm that FE-TSCM has merits from the viewpoint of computational time and memory in sensitivity analysis for free vibration of the rectangular plate structure with a large number of degrees-of-freedom. In addition, when the design variables are the thicknesses of the plate elements, the results computing the sensitivities of the first eigenvalues for the rectangular plate structures with clamped edges are illustrated in detail by using the computation program introducing the concept of FE-TSCM.