Effects of damping on the linear stability of a free-free beam subjected to follower and transversal forces

In this paper a free-free uniform beam with damping effects subjected to follower and transversal forces at its end is considered as a model for a space structure. The effect of damping on the stability of the system is first investigated and the effects of the follower and transversal forces on the vibration of the beam are shown next. Proportional damping model is used in this work, hence, the effects of both internal (material) and external (viscous fluid) damping on the system are noted. In order to derive the frequency of the system, the Ritz method has been used. The mode shapes of the system must therefore be extracted. The Newmark method is utilized in the study of the system vibration. The results show that an increase in the follower and transversal forces leads to an increase of the vibrational motion of the beam which is not desirable.