Application of boundary-domain element method to the free vibration problem of plate structures

The boundary-domain element method is applied to the free vibration problem of thin-walled plate structures. The static fundamental solutions are used for the derivation of the integral equations for both in-plane and out-of-plane motions. All the integral equations to be implemented are regularized up to an integrable order and then discretized by means of the boundary-domain element method. The entire system of equations for the plate structures composed of thin elastic plates is obtained by assembling the equations for each plate component satisfying the equilibrium and compatibility conditions on the connected edge as well as the boundary conditions. The algebraic eigenvalue equation is derived from this system of equations and is able to be solved by using the standard solver to obtain eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes. Numerical analysis is carried out for a few example problems and the computational aspects are discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.