A simple technique for maximizing the fundamental frequency of vibrating structures

A general approach for finding the optimal support locations to maximize th e fundamental natural frequency of vibrating structures is described in thi s paper. The key to the procedure is to place the necessary supports in suc h a way, so as to eliminate the lower modes from the original configuration . This is accomplished by placing supports along the nodal lines of the hig hest possible mode from the original configuration, so that all the other l ower modes are eliminated by the introduction of new or extra supports to t he structure. For two-dimensional analysis, the average driving point resid ues calculated along a nodal line is used as an indicator for finding the v icinity of the ideal support locations.