RESEARCH PAPER I

Application of Differential Transform Method in

Free Vibration Analysis of Rotating Non-Prismatic
Beams

Reza Attarnejad and Ahmad Shahba

School of Civil Engineering, University College of Engineering, University of
Tehran, Iran.
 INTRODUCTION
• Non-prismatic beams, i.e. beams with cross-section varying continuously or
discontinuously along their length, are widely used as structural elements in
engineering field since they help the designers to meet the architectural and
aesthetic requirements.
• Furthermore, rotating beams are widely used in special structures such as blades of
helicopters, windmill turbines and aircraft propellers. Since vibration is one of the
most important factors which is taken into account in design phase and moreover it
poses restrictions and limitations in the performance, comprehension of vibration
properties particularly natural frequency seems to be essential.
• The governing equation of free vibration of non-prismatic beams is a fourth
order differential equation with variable constants.
• In recent years, concept of differential transform method (DTM) has broadened to
problems involving partial differential equations and systems of differential
equations. Some researchers have lately applied DTM for analysis of uniform and
non-uniform beams
 METHODOLOGY

• DIFFERENTIALTRANSFORM METHOD
• GOVERNING EQUATION OF MOTION
• APPLICATION OF DTM
 DIFFERENTIALTRANSFORM METHOD
• Differential transform method (DTM) is one of the most feasible numerical
tools for solving differential equations.
• The differential transform is an iterative procedure for obtaining analytic
Taylor series solutions of differential equations.

• The function f(x) can now be presented by power series using differential
transform of f(x) as:

• Fundamental theorems of differential transform are listed in Table