Fundamentals of Structural Dynamics – Online Short Course (Starts 31 Mar 2025) 31 March - 23 April 2025 Online

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structural-dynamics
  • From 31 March – 23 April, 2025 (4 Weeks, 8 Classes, 16 Total Hours)
  • Every Monday and Wednesday at 1–3 p.m. Eastern Time (all sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download)
  • Taught for the very first time online, this comprehensive overview of the discipline of Structural Dynamics will cover the dynamic characteristics of structures and the prediction of response of structures to dynamic environments.
  • All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.

OVERVIEW

This course is an introduction to Vibrations and Structural Dynamics. The goals of the course are to provide working level engineers who may not have received a thorough background in this important subject with the understanding necessary to work with dynamics experts as well as tools enabling them to make basic calculations on their own. In addition, it will provide a foundation for new engineers who wish to enter this discipline.

These goals will be achieved by focusing on the characterization of the dynamic characteristics of structures and the prediction of response of structures to dynamic environments. Subjects examined will be free and forced vibration of single and multi-degree-of-freedom systems, Fourier decomposition of excitation forces, modal testing, component loads analysis, and random vibration analysis. We will concentrate on the essential concepts within these topics to enable widely applicable understanding, but specific examples focused on turbomachinery and launch vehicles will be included as well. A variety of software tools, physical demonstrations, and optional assignments will also keep the class active and interesting. As this is “rocket science”, a rigorous explanation of the topics is necessary, i.e., there will be a lot of equations. Course notes are included, but the students will be asked to fill in selective blanks.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
  • Understand the characterization of the dynamic characteristics of structures
  • Understand the prediction of response of structures to dynamic environment
  • Understand free and forced vibration of single degree-of-freedom systems
  • Understand forced response of multi-DOF systems (transient, frequency, random)
  • Understand modal testing
  • Understand component loads analysis
AUDIENCE
This is an introductory course for engineers new to or outside of the field. Most engineering schools do not require a course in vibrations, so many working engineers do not understand natural frequencies, mode shapes, and loads analysis, topics that are constantly under consideration in the design of aerospace hardware. This course will provide them with the understanding necessary to work with dynamics experts as well as tools enabling them to make basic calculations on their own. In addition, it will provide a foundation for new engineers who wish to enter this discipline.

COURSE FEES (Sign-In To Register)
- AIAA Member Price: $895 USD
- Non-Member Price: $1095 USD
- AIAA Student Member Price: $495 USD

CLASSROOM HOURS / CEUs: 16 classroom hours / 1.6 CEU/PDH

Cancellation Policy: A refund less a $50.00 cancellation fee will be assessed for all cancellations made in writing prior to 5 days before the start of the
event. After that time, no refunds will be provided.

Contact: Please contact Lisa Le or Customer Service if you have any questions about the course or group discounts. 
 
Outline
  • Preliminary Background, Motivation, Math and Units

  • Single Degree-of-Freedom (SDOF) Systems
    • Modeling & Free Vibration
      • Equation of Motion
      • Solution Methods
      • Example Problem
    • Damped Free Response
      • Damping Categories & Solutions
      • Measurement of Damping
      • Typical Damping Values & Example Problem

  • Forced Response of SDOF Systems
    • Response to Harmonic Excitation (Frequency Response)
    • Support Excitation, Transmissibility
    • Response to Arbitrary Transient Excitation
      • Fourier Analysis
    • Application in Rocket Engine Turbomachinery
    • Dynamic Response in Time Domain
      • Shock Response Spectra

  • Structural Systems
    • Continuous Model
      • Effective Mass
    • MDOF Systems
      • Equations of Motion
      • Modal Analysis
      • Finite Element Method
    • Forced Response of MDOF Systems
      • Transient vs. Frequency Response
      • Generalized Coordinates/Modal Superposition
      • Harmonic Excitation Solution
      • Transient Excitation Solution
    • Launch Vehicle (Coupled Loads) Analysis
      • Flow Diagram of Coupled Loads
      • Component Mode Synthesis

  • Other Topics
    • Vibration & Modal Testing
    • Random Vibration (Mile’s Equation)
Materials

COURSE DELIVERY AND MATERIALS

  • The course lectures will be delivered via Zoom. Access to the Zoom classroom will be provided to registrants near to the course start date.
  • All sessions will be available on-demand within 1-2 days of the lecture. Once available, you can stream the replay video anytime, 24/7.
  • All slides will be available for download after each lecture. 
  • No part of these materials may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted, unless for course participants. All rights reserved.
  • Between lectures during the course, the instructor(s) will be available via email for technical questions and comments.
Instructors
Dr. Andrew M. Brown, Ph. D, is a recently retired Aerospace Engineer from the NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center/Propulsion Structures & Dynamic Analysis Branch. He joined MSFC in 1986, and has worked mainly on rocket engine dynamics and loads research, development, and production analysis. He has authored or co-authored 11 journal papers and 30 conference papers covering topics ranging from probabilistic design and loads combination methods to techniques for calculating turbine blade forced response in the presence of asymmetric flow. Last year he published a textbook on Structural Dynamics of Rocket Engines and was granted a patent on a turbine blade modification to reduce resonant response. Dr. Brown received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University and a Masters and Ph.D. in ME from Georgia Tech, and is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Astronautics and Aeronautics.
 

 

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