Experimental Study of the Vibrations of Solid, Isotropic, Elastic Cylinders

An experimental study has been carried out to determine the natural frequencies of vibration of solid, isotropic, elastic cylinders with free boundaries. Solid aluminum and steel cylinders having height-to-radius ratios (h/a) between 0.2 and 3.3 have been studied. Twenty of the graver modes were excited by means of a barium titanate driver loosely coupled to the metal cylinders. Six modes of circumferential order zero, seven modes of order unity, four modes of order two, and three modes of order three were studied in the range of dimensionless frequency parameter ωa/c from zero to 2.6. Sand patterns and a small vibration probe were used to determine the form of the vibrations. Where possible, the frequencies are compared with the results of existing theory.