A general method to determine the dynamic response of a plate to a moving mass

This paper presents a general technique to determine the dynamic response of a plate excited by an orbiting mass. The technique relies on a finite element discretization in which the mesh is consistent with the trajectory of the orbiting mass, combined with a Lagrange multiplier formulation. This allows one to represent the compatibility condition at the mass-plate interface using a set of auxiliary functions. This technique can be applied to plates of any shape, excited by masses describing any type of trajectory. An example is presented to illustrate the method. © 1991.