Analytical assessment of the frequency of natural vibrations of a truss with an arbitrary number of panels

The aim of the work is to derive a formula for the dependence of the first frequency of the natural oscillations of a planar statically determinate beam truss with parallel belts on the number of panels, sizes and masses concentrated in the nodes of the lower truss belt. Truss has a triangular lattice with vertical racks. The solution uses Maple computer math system operators. Methods. The basis for the upper estimate of the desired oscillation frequency of a regular truss is the energy method. As a form of deflection of the truss taken deflection from the action of a uniformly distributed load. Only vertical mass movements are assumed. The amplitude values of the deflection of the truss is calculated by the Maxwell - Mohr’s formula. The forces in the rods are determined in symbolic form by the method of cutting nodes. The dependence of the solution on the number of panels is obtained by an inductive generalization of a series of solutions for trusses with a successively increasing number of panels. For sequences of coefficients of the desired formula, fourth-order homogeneous linear recurrence equations are compiled and solved. Results. The solution is compared with the numerical one, obtained from the analysis of the entire spectrum of natural frequencies of oscillations of the mass system located at the nodes of the truss. The frequency equation is compiled and solved using Eigenvalue search operators in the Maple system. It is shown that the obtained analytical estimate differs from the numerical solution by a fraction of a percent. Moreover, with an increase in the number of panels, the error of the energy method decreases monotonically. A simpler lower bound for the oscillation frequency according to the Dunkerley method is presented. The accuracy of the lower estimate is much lower than the upper estimate, depending on the size and number of panels.