Free vibration of a rectangular plate with an attached three-degree-of-freedom spring-mass system

The present paper studies the variation of the natural frequencies and mode shapes of rectangular plates carrying a three degree-of-freedom spring-mass system (subsystem), when the subsystem changes (stiffness, mass, moment of inertia, location). An analytical approach based on Lagrange multipliers as well as a finite element formulation are employed and compared. Numerically reliable results are presented for the first time, illustrating the convenience of using the present analytical method which requires only the solution of a linear eigenvalue problem. Results obtained through the variation of the mass, stiffness and moment of inertia of the 3-DOF system can be understood under the effective mass concept or Rayleigh's statement. The analysis of frequency values of the whole system, when the 3-DOF system approaches or moves away from the center, shows that the variations depend on each particular mode of vibration. When the 3-DOF system is placed in the center of the plate, "new" modes are found to be a combination of the subsystem's modes (two rotations, traslation) and the bare plate's modes that possess the same symmetry. This situation no longer exists as the 3-DOF system moves away from the center of the plate, since different bare plate's modes enable distinct motions of the 3-DOF system contributing differently to the "new' modes as its location is modified. Also the natural frequencies of the compound system are nearly uncoupled have been calculated by means of a first order eigenvalue perturbation analysis.