Dynamics of rectangular plates undergoing prescribed overall motion

A set of linear equations of motion for rectangular plates undergoing prescribed overall motion is derived in this paper. Two in-plane stretch variables, with which the in-plane strain energy of the plate can be expressed in an exact quadratic form, are employed and approximated to derive the equations of motion. The equations of motion include motion-induced stiffness variation terms, which are expressed as explicit functions of the prescribed overall motion. The effects of the motion-induced stiffness variation terms, which are neglected in the conventional linear modelling method, on the dynamic response of the plate are investigated. The reliability and the accuracy of the equations of motion which are derived in the present work are examined through the numerical study. (C) 2001 Academic Press.