Study on Natural Frequencies of Transverse Free Vibration of Functionally Graded Axis Beams by the Differential Quadrature Method

Functionally gradient materials with special mechanical characteristics are more and more widely used in engineering. The functionally graded beam is one of the commonly used components to bear forces in the structure. Accurate analysis of the dynamic characteristics of the axially functionally graded (AFG) beam plays a vital role in the design and safe operation of the whole structure. Based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory (EBT), the characteristic equation of transverse free vibration for the AFG Euler-Bernoulli beam with variable cross-section is obtained in the present work, and the governing equations of the beam are transformed into ordinary differential equations with variable coefficients. Using differential quadrature method (DQM), the solution formulas of characteristic equations under different boundary conditions are derived, and the natural frequencies of the AFG beam are calculated, while the node partition of a non-uniform geometric progression is discussed.