Nonlinear free transverse vibration of an axially moving beam: Comparison of two models

Nonlinear free transverse vibration of an axially moving beam is investigated. A partial-differential equation governing the transverse vibration is derived from the Newton's second law. Under the assumption that the tension of beam can be replaced by the averaged tension over the beam, the partial-differential reduces to a widely used integro-partial-differential equation for nonlinear free transverse vibration. The method of multiple scales is applied directly to two equations to evaluate nonlinear natural frequencies. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the analytical results and to highlight the difference between two models. Two models yield the essentially same results for the weak nonlinearity, the small axial speed and the low mode, while the difference between two models increases with the nonlinear term, the axial speed, and the order of mode.