Vibration of an Axially Moving String Supported by a Viscoelastic Foundation

The transverse vibration of an axially moving string supported by a viscoelastic foundation is analysed using the complex modal method. The equation of motion is developed using the generalized Hamilton principle. The exact closed-form solution of eigenvalues and eigenfunctions are obtained. The governing equation is represented in a canonical state space form defined by two matrix differential operators, and the eigenfunctions and adjoint eigenfunctions are proved to be orthogonal with respect to each operator. This orthogonality is applied so that the response to arbitrary external excitations and initial conditions can be expressed in modal expansion. Numerical examples are presented to validate the proposed approach.