Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory

University of Massachusetts Lowell

MACL

EXPERIMENTAL MODAL ANALYSIS

(A Simple Non-Mathematical Presentation)
Peter Avitabile
Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory
Mechanical Engineering Department
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Lowell, Massachusetts USA

Preface

RESPONSE

Often times, people ask some simple questions regarding modal

analysis and how structures vibrate. Most times, it is impossible
to describe this simply and some of the basic underlying theory
needs to be addressed in order to fully explain some of these
concepts.
However, many times the theory is just a little too much to handle
and some of the concepts can be described without a rigorous
mathematical treatment. This document will attempt to explain
some concepts about how structures vibrate and the use of some
of the tools to solve structural dynamic problems. The intent of
this document is to simply identify how structures vibrate from a
non-mathematical perspective.
With this being said. Let's start with the first question that is
usually asked.

FORCE

Fig 1 - Simple Plate Excitation/Response Model

Lets consider a freely supported flat plate (Fig 1). Let's apply
a constant force to one corner of the plate. We usually think of
a force in a static sense which would cause some static
deformation in the plate. But here what I would like to do is to
apply a force that varies in a sinusoidal fashion. Let's consider
a fixed frequency of oscillation of the constant force. We will
change the rate of oscillation of the frequency but the peak
force will always be the same value - only the rate of
oscillation of the force will change. We will also measure the
response of the plate due to the excitation with an
accelerometer attached to one corner of the plate.
increasing rate of oscillation

Could you explain modal analysis for me?

In a nutshell, we could say that modal analysis is a process

whereby we describe a structure in terms of its natural
characteristics which are the frequency, damping and mode
shapes - it's dynamic properties. Well that's a mouthful so let's
explain what that means. Without getting too technical, I often
explain modal analysis in terms of the modes of vibration of a
simple plate. This explanation is usually useful for engineers
who are new to vibrations and modal analysis.

time

Fig 2 - Simple Plate Response

Now if we measure the response on the plate we will notice
that the amplitude changes as we change the rate of oscillation
of the input force (Fig 2). There will be increases as well as
decreases in amplitude at different points as we sweep up in
time. This seems very odd since we are applying a constant
force to the system yet the amplitude varies depending on the

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rate of oscillation of the input force. But this is exactly what

happens - the response amplifies as we apply a force with a rate
of oscillation that gets closer and closer to the natural
frequency (or resonant frequency) of the system and reaches a
maximum when the rate of oscillation is at the resonant
frequency of the system. When you think about it, that's pretty
amazing since I am applying the same peak force all the time only the rate of oscillation is changing!

frequency

Fig 3 - Simple Plate Frequency Response Function

This time data provides very useful information. But if we take
the time data and transform it to the frequency domain using
the Fast Fourier Transform then we can compute something
called the frequency response function (Fig 3). Now there are
some very interesting items to note. We see that there are
peaks in this function which occur at the resonant frequencies
of the system. And we notice that these peaks occur at
frequencies where the time response was observed to have
maximum response corresponding to the rate of oscillation of
the input excitation.

Now most people are amazed at how the structure has these
natural characteristics. Well, whats more amazing is that the
deformation patterns at these natural frequencies also take on a
variety of different shapes depending on which frequency is
used for the excitation force.
Now let's see what happens to the deformation pattern on the
structure at each one of these natural frequencies. Let's place
45 evenly distributed accelerometers on the plate and measure
the amplitude of the response of the plate with different
excitation frequencies. If we were to dwell at each one of the
frequencies - each one of the natural frequencies - we would
see a deformation pattern that exists in the structure (Fig 5).
The figure shows the deformation patterns that will result when
the excitation coincides with one of the natural frequencies of
the system. We see that when we dwell at the first natural
frequency, there is a first bending deformation pattern in the
plate shown in blue (mode 1). When we dwell at the second
natural frequency, there is a first twisting deformation pattern
in the plate shown in red (mode 2). When we dwell at the third
and fourth natural frequencies, the second bending and second
twisting deformation patterns are seen in green (mode 3) and
magenta (mode 4), respectively. These deformation patterns
are referred to as the mode shapes of the structure. (That's not
actually perfectly correct from a pure mathematical standpoint
but for the simple discussion here, these deformation patterns
are very close to the mode shapes, from a practical standpoint.)

MODE 1

MODE 2

MODE3

MODE 4

Fig 4 - Overlay of Time and Frequency Response Function

Now if we overlay the time trace with the frequency trace what
we will notice is that the frequency of oscillation at the time at
which the time trace reaches its maximum value corresponds
to the frequency where peaks in the frequency response
function reach a maximum (Fig 4). So you can see that we can
use either the time trace to determine the frequency at which
maximum amplitude increases occur or the frequency response
function to determine where these natural frequencies occur.
Clearly the frequency response function is easier to evaluate.

Fig 5 - Simple Plate Sine Dwell Response

Now these natural frequencies and mode shapes occur in all

structures that we design. Basically, there are characteristics
that depend on the weight and stiffness of my structure which
determine where these natural frequencies and mode shapes
will exist. As a design engineer, I need to identify these
frequencies and know how they might affect the response of
my structure when a force excites the structure. Understanding
the mode shape and how the structure will vibrate when excited

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helps the design engineer to design better structures. Now

there is much more to it all but this is just a very simple
explanation of modal analysis.

Now let's take a look at each of the measurements and make

some remarks on some of the individual measurements that
could be made.

So, basically, modal analysis is the study of the natural

characteristics of structures. Understanding both the natural
frequency and mode shape helps to design my structural system
for noise and vibration applications. We use modal analysis to
help design all types of structures including automotive
structures, aircraft structures, spacecraft, computers, tennis
rackets, golf clubs, ... the list just goes on and on.

First let's drive the beam with a force from an impact at the tip of
the beam at point 3 and measure the response of the beam at the
same location (Fig 7). This measurement is referred to as h33.
This is a special measurement referred to as a drive point
measurement. Some important characteristics of a drive point
measurement are

Now we have introduced this measurement called a frequency

response function but exactly what is it?

Just what are these measurements

that are called FRFs?

The frequency response function is very simply the ratio of the

output response of a structure due to an applied force. We measure
both the applied force and the response of the structure due to the
applied force simultaneously. (The response can be measured as
displacement, velocity or acceleration.) Now the measured time
data is transformed from the time domain to the frequency domain
using a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm found in any signal
processing analyzer and computer software packages.
Due to this transformation, the functions end up being complex
valued numbers; the functions contain real and imaginary
components or magnitude and phase components to describe
the function. So lets take a look at what some of the functions
might look like and try to determine how modal data can be
extracted from these measured functions.

all resonances (peaks) are separated by anti-resonances

the phase looses 180 degrees of phase as we pass over a
resonance and gains 180 degrees of phase as we pass over an
anti-resonance
the peaks in the imaginary part of the frequency response
function must all point in the same direction

So as I continue and take a measurement by moving the impact

force to point 2 and measuring the response at point 3 and then
moving the impact force on to point 1 to acquire two more
measurements as shown. (And of course I could continue on to
collect any or all of the additional input-output combinations.)
So now we have some idea about the measurements that we could
possibly acquire. One important item to note is that the frequency
response function matrix is symmetric. This is due to the fact that
the mass, damping and stiffness matrices that describe the system
are symmetric. So we can see that hij = h ji - this is called
reciprocity. So we don't need to actually measure all the terms of
the frequency response function matrix.
One question that always seems to arise is whether or not it is
necessary to measure all of the possible input-output combinations
and why is it possibly to obtain mode shapes from only one row or
column of the frequency response function matrix.

Let's first evaluate a simple beam with only 3 measurement

locations (Fig 6). We see the beam below with 3 measurement
locations and 3 mode shapes. There are 3 possible places
forces can be applied and 3 possible places where the response
can be measured. This means that there are a total of 9
possible complex valued frequency response functions that
could be acquired; the frequency response functions are usually
described with subscripts to denote the input and output
locations as hout,in (or with respect to typical matrix notation
this would be hrow,column)

8
5
2
8

3
0
-3
8

The figure shows the magnitude, phase, real and imaginary

parts of the frequency response function matrix. (Of course, I
am assuming that we remember that a complex number is made
up of a real and imaginary part which can be easily converted
to magnitude and phase. Since the frequency response is a
complex number, we can look at any and all of the parts that
can describe the frequency response function.)

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Fig 6a Beam 3 DOF Model

Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory

University of Massachusetts Lowell

Fig 6b - Magnitude

Fig 6d - Real

1.0000

-1.0000

Fig 6c - Phase

Fig 6e - Imaginary

3
1

h 32

h 31

Fig 7 Cross FRF s for Reference 3

h 33
Fig 7a Drive Point FRF for Reference 3

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Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory

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Why is only one row or column

of the FRF matrix needed?

It is very important for us to understand how we arrive at mode

shapes from the various measurements that are available in the
frequency response function matrix. Without getting mathematical,
let's discuss this.
Let's just take a look at the third row of the frequency response
function matrix and concentrate on the first mode. If I look at the
peak amplitude of the imaginary part of the frequency response
function, I can easily see that the first mode shape for mode 1 can
be seen (Fig 8a). So it seems fairly straightforward to extract the
mode shape from measured data. A quick and dirty approach is
just to measure the peak amplitude of the frequency response
function for a number of different measurement points.

Fig 8a Mode 2 from Third Row of FRF Matrix

And if I look at the second row of the frequency response
function matrix and concentrate on the second mode, I will be a
little surprised because there is no amplitude for the second
mode (Fig 8d). I wasn't expecting this but if we look at the
mode shape for the second mode then we can quickly see that
this is a node point for mode 2. The reference point is located
at the node of the mode.

Fig 8d Mode 2 from Second Row of FRF Matrix

Fig 8a Mode 1 from Third Row of FRF Matrix

Now look at the second row of the frequency response function

matrix and concentrate on the first mode (Fig 8b). If I look at the
peak amplitude of the imaginary part of the frequency response
function, I can easily see that the first mode shape for mode 1 can
be seen from this row also.

Fig 8a Mode 1 from Second Row of FRF Matrix

So this points out one very important aspect of modal analysis

and experimental measurements. The reference point cannot
be located at the node of a mode otherwise that mode will not
be seen in the frequency response function measurements and
the mode cannot be obtained.
Now we have only used 3 measurement points to describe the
modes for this simple beam. If we add more input-output
measurement locations then the mode shapes can be seen more
clearly as shown in Figure 9. The figure shows 15 measured
frequency response functions and the 3 measurement points
used in the discussion above are highlighted. This figure
shows the 15 frequency response functions in a waterfall style
plot. Using this type of plot, it is much easier to see that the
mode shapes can be determined by looking at the peaks of the
imaginary part of the frequency response function.
MODE # 1

We could also look at the first row of the frequency response

function matrix and see the same shape. This is a very simple
pictorial representation of what the theory indicates. We can
use any row to describe the mode shape of the system. So it is
very obvious that the measurements contain information
pertaining to the mode shapes of the system.

MODE # 2
MODE # 3

DOF # 1

DOF #2

Let's now take a look at the third row again and concentrate on
mode 2 now (Fig 8c). Again if I look at the peak amplitude of
the imaginary part of the frequency response function, I can
easily see the second mode shape for mode 2 can be seen.

DOF # 3

Fig 9 - Waterfall Plot of Beam Frequency Response Functions

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Now the measurements that we have discussed thus far have been
obtained from an impact testing consideration. What if the
measured frequency response functions come from a shaker test?

What's the difference between a

shaker test and an impact test?

From a theoretical standpoint, it doesn't matter whether the

measured frequency response functions come from a shaker test or
an impact test. Figures 10a and 10b show the measurements that
are obtained from an impact test and a shaker test. An impact test
generally results in measuring one of the rows of the frequency
response function matrix whereas the shaker test generally results
in measuring one of the columns of the frequency response
function matrix. Since the system matrices describing the system
are square symmetric, then reciprocity is true. For the case shown,
the third row is exactly the same as the third column, for instance.

Another difference that can result is due to the shaker/stinger

effects. Basically, the modes of the structure may be affected
by the mass and stiffness effects of the shaker attachment.
While we try to minimize these effects, they may exist. The
purpose of the stinger is to uncouple the effects of the shaker
from the structure. However, on many structures, the effects of
the shaker attachment may be significant. Since an impact test
does not suffer from these problems, different results may be
obtained. So while theory says that there is no difference
between a shaker test and an impact test, there are some very
basic practical aspects that may cause some differences.

Theoretically, there is no difference between a shaker test and

an impact test. That is, from a theoretical standpoint! If I can
apply pure forces to a structure without any interaction between
the applied force and the structure and I can measure response
with a massless transducer that has no effect on the structure then this is true. But what if this is not the case?
Now let's think about performing the test from a practical
standpoint. The point is that shakers and response transducers
generally do have an effect on the structure during the modal
test. The main item to remember is that the structure under test
is not just the structure for which you would like to obtain
modal data. It is the structure plus everything involved in the
acquisition of the data - the structure suspension, the mass of
the mounted transducers, the potential stiffening effects of the
shaker/stinger arrangement, etc. So while theory tells me that
there shouldn't be any difference between the impact test
results and the shaker test results, often there will be
differences due to the practical aspects of collecting data.

h 33

h 31
h 32

Fig 10a - Roving Impact Test Scenario

h 13
1

The most obvious difference will occur from the roving of

accelerometers during a shaker test. The weight of the
accelerometer may be extremely small relative to the total
weight of the whole structure, but its weight may be quite large
relative to the effective weight of different parts of the
structure. This is accentuated in multi-channel systems where
many accelerometers are moved around the structure in order
to acquire all the measurements. This can be a problem
especially on light-weight structures. One way to correct this
problem is to mount all of the accelerometers on the structure
even though only a few are measured at a time. Another way is
to add dummy accelerometer masses at locations not being
measured; this will eliminate the roving mass effect.

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h 23
3

h 33
Fig 10b - Roving Response Test Scenario

Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory

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What measurements do I actually

make to compute the FRF?

The most important measurement that is needed for experimental

modal analysis is the frequency response function. Very simply
stated, this is the ratio of the output response to the input excitation
force. This measurement is typically acquired using a dedicated
instrument such as an FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) analyzer or a
data acquisition system with software that performs the FFT.
Lets briefly discuss some of the basic steps that occur in the
acquisition of data to obtain the FRF. First, there are analog
signals that are obtained from our measuring devices. These
analog signals must be filtered to assure that there is no aliasing of
higher frequencies into the analysis frequency range. This is
usually done through the use of a set of analog filters on the frontend of the analyzer called anti-aliasing filters. Their function is to
remove any high frequency signals that may exist in the signal.

are the input power spectrum, the output power spectrum and
the cross spectrum between the output and input signals.
These functions are averaged and used to compute two
important functions that are used for modal data acquisition
the frequency response function (FRF) and the coherence. The
coherence function is used as a data quality assessment tool
which identifies how much of the output signal is related to the
measured input signal. The FRF contains information
regarding the system frequency and damping and a collection
of FRFs contain information regarding the mode shape of the
system at the measured locations. This is the most important
measurement related to experimental modal analysis. An
overview of these steps described is shown in Figure 11.

ANALOG SIGNALS

OUTPUT

INPUT

ANTIALIASING FILTERS

The next step is to digitize the analog signal to form a digital

representation of the actual signal. This is done by the analog to
digital converter that is called the ADC. Typically this digitization
process will use 10, 12 or 16 bit converters; the more bits available,
the better the resolution possible in the digitized signal. Some of
the major concerns lie in the sampling and quantization errors that
could potentially creep into the digitized approximation. Sampling
rate controls the resolution in the time and frequency representation
of the signals. Quantization is associated with the accuracy of
magnitude of the captured signal. Both sampling and quantization
can cause some errors in the measured data but are not nearly as
significant and devastating as the worst of all the signal processing
errors leakage!
Leakage occurs from the transformation of time data to the
frequency domain using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT).
The Fourier Transform process requires that the sampled data
consist of a complete representation of the data for all time or
contain a periodic repetition of the measured data. When this
is satisfied, then the Fourier Transform produces a proper
representation of the data in the frequency domain. However,
when this is not the case, then leakage will cause a serious
distortion of the data in the frequency domain. In order to
minimize the distortion due to leakage, weighting functions
called windows are used to cause the sampled data to appear to
better satisfy the periodicity requirement of the FFT. While
windows greatly reduces the leakage effect, it cannot be
completely removed.
Once the data is sampled, then the FFT is computed to form
linear spectra of the input excitation and output response.
Typically, averaging is performed on power spectra obtained
from the linear spectra. The main averaged spectra computed

AUTORANGE ANALYZER
ADC DIGITIZES SIGNALS

OUTPUT

INPUT

APPLY WINDOWS

INPUT
OUTPUT

COMPUTE FFT
LINEAR SPECTRA
LINEAR
OUTPUT
SPECTRUM

LINEAR
INPUT
SPECTRUM

AVERAGING OF SAMPLES

COMPUTATION OF AVERAGED
INPUT/OUTPUT/CROSS POWER SPECTRA

INPUT
POWER
SPECTRUM

OUTPUT
POWER
SPECTRUM

CROSS
POWER
SPECTRUM

COMPUTATION OF FRF AND COHERENCE

FREQUENCY RESPONSE FUNCTION

COHERENCE FUNCTION

Fig 11 - Anatomy of an FFT Analyzer

Of course, there are many important aspects of measurement
acquisition, averaging techniques to reduce noise and so on,
that are beyond the scope of this presentation. Any good
reference on digital signal processing will provide assistance in
this area. Now the input excitation needs to be discussed next.
Basically, there are two commonly used types of excitation for
experimental modal analysis impact excitation and shaker
excitation.

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Now lets consider some of the testing considerations when

performing an impact test.
What are the biggest things to think
about when impact testing?

There are many important considerations when performing impact

testing. Only two of the most critical items will be mentioned here;
a detailed explanation of all the aspects pertaining to impact testing
is far beyond the scope of this paper.
First, the selection of the hammer tip can have a significant effect
on the measurement acquired. The input excitation frequency
range is controlled mainly by the hardness of the tip selected. The
harder the tip, the wider the frequency range that is excited by the
excitation force. The tip needs to be selected such that all the
modes of interest are excited by the impact force over the
frequency range to be considered. If too soft a tip is selected, then
all the modes will not be excited adequately in order to obtain a
good measurement as seen Figure 12a. The input power spectrum
does not excite all of the frequency range shown as evidenced by
the rolloff of the power spectrum; the coherence is also seen to
deteriorate as well as the frequency response function over the
second half of the frequency range.

The second most important aspect of impact testing relates to

the use of an impact window for the response transducer.
Generally for lightly damped structures, the response of the
structure due to the impact excitation will not die down to zero
by the end of the sample interval. When this is the case, the
transformed data will suffer significantly from a digital signal
processing effect referred to as leakage.
In order to minimize leakage, a weighting function referred to
as a window is applied to the measured data. This window is
used to force the data to better satisfy the periodicity
requirements of the Fourier Transform process, thereby
minimizing the distortion effects of leakage. For impact
excitation, the most common window used on the response
transducer measurement is the exponentially decaying window.
The implementation of the window to minimize leakage is
shown in Figure 13.
ACTUAL TIME SIGNAL

SAMPLED SIGNAL

WINDOW WEIGHTING

WINDOWED TIME SIGNAL

40

Fig 13 - Exponential Window to Minimize Leakage Effects

COHERENCE

dB Mag
FRF
INPUT POWER SPECTRUM

-60
0Hz

800Hz

Fig 12a - Hammer Tip Not Sufficient to Excite All Modes

Typically, we strive to have a fairly good and relatively flat input
excitation forcing function. The frequency response function is
measured much better as evidenced by the much improved
coherence function. When performing impact testing, care must be
exercised to select the proper tip so that all the modes are excited
well and a good frequency response measurement is obtained.

Windows cause some distortion of the data themselves and should

be avoided whenever possible. For impact measurements, two
possible items to always consider are the selection of a narrower
bandwidth for measurements and to increase the number of spectral
lines of resolution. Both of these signal processing parameters
have the effect of increasing the amount of time required to acquire
a measurement. These will both tend to reduce the need for the use
of an exponential window and should always be considered to
reduce the effects of leakage.
Now lets consider some of the testing considerations when
performing a shaker test.

COHERENCE

40

What are the biggest things to think

about when shaker testing?

FRF

dB Mag
INPUT POWER SPECTRUM

-60
0Hz

200Hz

Fig 12b - Hammer Tip Adequate to Excite All Modes

Again, there are many important items to consider when

performing shaker testing but the most important of those center
around the effects of excitation signals that minimize the need for
windows or eliminate the need for windows altogether. There are
many other considerations when performing shaker testing but a

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detailed explanation of all of these is far beyond the scope of this

presentation.
One of the more common excitation techniques still used today is
random excitation due to its ease of implementation. However, due
to the nature of this excitation signal, leakage is a critical concern
and the use of a Hanning window is commonly employed. This
leakage effect is serious and causes distortion of the measured
frequency response function even when windows are used. A
typical random excitation signal with a Hanning window is shown
in Figure 14. As seen in the figure, the Hanning window weighting
function helps to make the sampled signal appear to better satisfy
the periodicity requirement of the FFT process, thereby minimizing
the potential distortion effects of leakage.
While this improves the distortion of the FRF due to leakage, the
window will never totally remove these effects; the measurements
will still contain some distortion effects due to leakage.

AUTORANGING

AVERAGING WITH WINDOW

AUTORANGING

AVERAGING

Fig 16 - Sine Chirp Excitation Without a Window

In the case of burst random, the periodicity requirement of the FFT

process is satisfied due to the fact that the entire transient excitation
and response are captured in one sample interval of the FFT. For
the sine chirp excitation, the repetition of the signal over the
sample interval satisfies the periodicity requirement of the FFT
process. While other excitation signals also exist, these are the
most common excitation signals used in modal testing today.
So now we have a better idea how to make some measurements.

Tell me more about windows

They seem pretty important !

Fig 14 - Shaker Testing Excitation Considerations

Random Excitation with Hanning window
Two very common excitation signals widely used today are burst
random and sine chirp. Both of these excitations have a special
characteristic that do not require the need for windows to be
applied to the data since the signal are inherently leakage free in
almost all testing situations. These excitations are relatively simple
to employ and are commonly found on most signal analyzers
available today. These two signals are shown schematically in
Figure 15 and 16.

AUTORANGING

AVERAGING

Fig 15 - Burst Random Excitation Without a Window

Windows are, in many measurement situations, a necessary

evil. While I would rather not have to use any windows at all,
the alternative of leakage is definitely not acceptable either. As
discussed above, there are a variety of excitation methods that
can be successfully employed which will provide leakage free
measurements and do not require the use of any window.
However, there are many times, especially when performing
field testing and collecting operating data, where the use of
windows is necessary. So what are the most common windows
typically used.
Basically, in a nutshell, the most common widows used today
are the Uniform, Hanning, Flat Top and Force/Exponential
windows. Rather than detail all the windows, lets just simply
state when each are used for experimental modal testing.
The Uniform Window (which is also referred to as the
Rectangular Window, Boxcar or No Window) is basically a
unity gain weighting function that is applied to all the digitized
data points in one sample or record of data. This window is
applied to data where the entire signal is captured in one
sample or record of data or when the data is guaranteed to
satisfy the periodicity requirement of the FFT process. This
window can be used for impact testing where the input and
response signals are totally observed in one sample of collected

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data. This window is also used when performing shaker

excitation tests with signals such as burst random, sine chirp,
pseudo-random and digital stepped sine; all of these signals
generally satisfy the periodicity requirement of the FFT
process.

between 1 and 6 describes how the system will behave (Figure

17).

h 61

Input

The Hanning window is basically a cosine shaped weighting

function (bell shaped) that forces the beginning and end of the
sample interval to be heavily weighted to zero. This is useful
for signals that generally do not satisfy the periodicity
requirement of the FFT process. Random excitations and
general field signals usually fall into this category and require
the use of a window such as the Hanning window.

Output

h out,in

Fig 17 - Input-Output Measurement Locations

The Flat Top window is most useful for sinusoidal signals that
do not satisfy the periodicity requirement of the FFT process.
Most often this window is used for calibration purposes more
than anything else in experimental modal analysis.
The force and exponential windows are typically used when
performing impact excitation for acquiring FRFs. Basically,
the force window is a unity gain window that acts over a
portion of the sample interval where the impulsive excitation
occurs. The exponential window is used when the response
signal does not die out within the sample interval. The
exponential window is applied to force the response to better
satisfy the periodicity requirement of the FFT process.
Each of the windows has an effect of the frequency
representation of the data. In general, the windows will cause a
degradation in the accuracy of the peak amplitude of the
function and will appear to have more damping than what
really exists in the actual measurement. While these errors are
not totally desirable, they are far more acceptable than the
significant distortion that can result from leakage.

MODE 1

2
4
1
3
6

Fig 18 - Plate Mode Shapes For Mode 1- Peak Pick of FRF

MODE 2

So how do I get mode shapes

from the plate FRFs?
2

So now that we have discussed various aspects of acquiring

measurements, lets go back to the plate structure previously
discussed and take several measurements on the structure.
Let's consider 6 measurement locations on the plate. Now
there are 6 possible places where forces can be applied to the
plate and 6 possible places where we can measure the response
on the plate. This means that there are a total of 36 possible
input output measurements that could be made. The frequency
response function describes how the force applied to the plate
causes the plate to respond. If we applied a force to point 1 and
measured the response at point 6, then the transfer relation

Fig 19 - Plate Mode Shapes For Mode 2 - Peak Pick of FRF

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Peter Avitabile Rev 052700 D R A F T D O C U M E N T for Sound&Vibration Mgazine

Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory

University of Massachusetts Lowell

While the technique shown above is adequate for very simple

structures, mathematical algorithms are typically used to
estimate the modal characteristics from measured data. The
modal parameter estimation phase, which is often referred to as
curvefitting, is implemented using computer software to
simplify the extraction process. The basic parameters that are
extracted from the measurements are the frequency, damping
and mode shapes the dynamic characteristics. The measured
FRF is basically broken down into many single DOF systems
as shown in Figure 20.

Much more could be said concerning the estimation of modal

parameters from measured data, the tools available for
deciphering data and the validation of the extracted model but
a detailed explanation is far beyond the scope of this paper.

HOW MANY POINTS ???

RESIDUAL
EFFECTS

a ij1

a ij2
a ij3

RESIDUAL
EFFECTS

HOW MANY MODES ???

Fig 22 - Curvefitting a Typical FRF

Fig 20 - Breakdown of a Frequency Response Function

These curvefitting techniques use a variety of different

methods to extract data. Some techniques employ time domain
data while others use frequency domain data. The most
common methods employ multiple mode analytical models but
at times very simple single mode methods will produce
reasonably good results for most engineering analyses (Figure
21). Basically, all of the estimation algorithms attempt to
break down measured data into the principal components that
make up the measured data namely the frequency, damping
and mode shapes.

MDOF

SDOF

Fig 21 - Curvefitting Different Bands using Different Methods

The key inputs that the analyst must specify are the band over
which data is extracted, the number of modes contained in the
data and the inclusion of residual compensation terms for the
estimation algorithm. This is schematically shown in Figure
22.

All structures respond to externally applied forces. But many times

the forces are not known or cannot be measured easily. We could
still measure the response of a structural system even though the
forces may not be measured. So the next question that is often
asked concerns operating data.
What is operating data?

We first need to recognize that the system responds to the forces

that are applied to the system (whether or not I can measure them).
So for explanation purposes, let's assume for now that we know
what the forces are. While the forces are actually applied in the
time domain, there are some important mathematical advantages to
describing the forces and response in the frequency domain. For a
structure which is exposed to an arbitrary input excitation, the
response can be computed using the frequency response function
multiplied by the input forcing function. This is very simply shown
in Figure 23.
The excitation shown is a random excitation that excites all
frequencies. The most important thing to note is that the frequency
response function acts as a filter on the input force which results in
some output response. The excitation shown causes all the modes
to be activated and therefore, the response is, in general, the linear
superposition of all the modes that are activated by the input
excitation. Now what would happen if the excitation did not
contain all frequencies but rather only excited one particular

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Peter Avitabile Rev 052700 D R A F T D O C U M E N T for Sound&Vibration Mgazine

Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory

University of Massachusetts Lowell

frequency (which is normally what we are concerned about when

evaluating most operating conditions).

INPUT TIME FORCE

OUTPUT TIME RESPONSE

f(t)

y(t)

FFT

IFT

INPUT SPECTRUM

FREQUENCY RESPONSE FUNCTION

OUTPUT SPECTRUM

f(j )

h(j )

y(j )

Fig 23 - Schematic Overviewing the Input-Output

Structural Response Problem

system frequency response function - we only measure the

response of the system.
First let's excite the system with a sinusoid that is right at the first
natural frequency of the plate structure. The response of the system
for one frequency response function is shown in Figure 25. So
even though we excite the system at only one frequency, we know
that the frequency response function is the filter that determines
how the structure will respond. We can see that the frequency
response function is made up of a contribution of both mode 1 and
mode 2. We can also see that the majority of the response, whether
it be in the time or frequency domain, is dominated by mode 1.
Now if we were to measure the response only at that one frequency
and measure the response at many points on the structure, then the
operating deflection pattern would look very much like mode 1 but there is a small contribution due to mode 2. Remember that
with operating data, we never measure the input force or the
frequency response function - we only measure the output response.
So that the deformations that are measured are the actual response
of the structure due to the input excitation - whatever it may be.

To illustrate this, let's use the simple plate that we just discussed.
Let's assume that there is some operating condition that exists for
the system; a fixed frequency operating unbalance will be
considered to be the excitation. It seems reasonable to use the
same set of accelerometers that were on the plate to measure the
response of the system. If we acquire data, we may see something
that looks like the deformation pattern shown in Figure 24.
Looking at this deformation, it is not very clear why the structure
responds this way or what to do to change the response. Why does
the plate behave in such a complicated fashion anyway??? This
doesnt appear to be anything like any of the mode shapes that we
measured before.

MODE 1 CONTRIBUTION

MODE 2 CONTRIBUTION

Fig 25 - Excitation Close to Mode 1

Fig 24 - Measured Operating Displacements

In order to understand this, let's take that plate and apply a

simple sinusoidal input at one corner of the plate. For the
example here, we are only going to consider the response of the
plate assuming that there are only 2 modes that are activated by
the input excitation. (Of course there are more modes, but let's
keep it simple to start.) Now we realize that the key to
determining the response is the frequency response function
between the input and output locations. Also, we need to
remember that when we collect operating data, we don't
measure the input force on the system and we don't measure the

When we measure frequency response functions and estimate

modal parameters, we actually determine the contribution to
the total frequency response function solely due to the effects
of mode 1 acting alone, as shown in blue, and mode 2 acting
alone, as shown in red, and so on for all the other modes of the
system. Notice that with operating data, we only look at the
response of the structure at one particular frequency - which is
the linear combination of all the modes that contribute to the
total response of the system. So we can now see that the
operating deflection pattern will look very much like the first
mode shape if the excitation primarily excites mode one.

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Peter Avitabile Rev 052700 D R A F T D O C U M E N T for Sound&Vibration Mgazine

Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory

University of Massachusetts Lowell

Now let's excite the system right at the second natural

frequency. Figure 26 below shows the same information as
just discussed for mode 1. But now we see that we primarily
excite the second mode of the system. Again, we must realize
that the response looks like mode 2 - but there is a small
contribution due to mode 1.

output spectrums. If we looked at those, it would not have

been very clear at to why the operating data looked like mode
shapes. Figure 28 shows a resulting output spectrum that
would be measured at one location on the plate structure. Now
the input applied to the structure is much broader in frequency
and many modes are excited. But, by understanding how each
of the modes contributes to the operating data, it is much easier
to see how the modes all contribute to the total response of the
system.

OUTPUT SPECTRUM

y(j )

FREQUENCY RESPONSE FUNCTION

Fig 26 - Excitation Close to Mode 2

But what happens when we excite the system away from a

resonant frequency. Let's excite the system at a frequency
midway between mode 1 and mode 2. Now here is where we
see the real difference between modal data and operating data.
The next figure shows the deformation shape of the structure.

f(j )
INPUT SPECTRUM

Fig 28 - Broadband Plate Excitation

So actually, there is a big difference between operating

deflections and mode shapes - we can now see that the modes
shapes are summed together in some linear fashion to form the
operating deflection patterns. But typically we are interested
in the total deformation or response of the system. Why do I
even want to bother to collect modal data? It seems like a lot
of work to acquire measurements and extract data.

Fig 27 - Excitation Somewhere Between Mode 1 and Mode 2

At first glance, it appears that the deformation doesn't look like

anything that we recognize. But if we look at the deformation
pattern long enough, we can actually see a little bit of first
bending and a little bit of first torsion in the deformation. So
the operating data is primarily some combination of the first
and second mode shapes. (Yes, there will actually be other
modes but primarily mode 1 and 2 will be the major
participants in the response of the system.)
Now, we have discussed all of this by understanding the
frequency response function contribution on a mode by mode
basis. When we actually collect operating data, we don't
collect frequency response functions but rather we collect

So what good is modal data?

Modal data is an extremely useful piece of information that can

assist in the design of almost any structure. The understanding and
visualization of mode shapes is invaluable in the design process. It
helps to identify areas of weakness in the design or areas where
improvement is needed. The development of a modal model is
useful for simulation and design studies. One of these studies is
structural dynamic modification.
This is a mathematical process which uses modal data (frequency,
damping and mode shapes) to determine the effects of changes in
the system characteristics due to physical structural changes. These
calculations can be performed without actually having to physically

Experimental Modal Analysis A Simple Non-Mathematical Presentation

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Peter Avitabile Rev 052700 D R A F T D O C U M E N T for Sound&Vibration Mgazine

Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory

University of Massachusetts Lowell

modify the actual structure until a suitable set of design changes is

achieved. A schematic of this is shown in Figure 29. There is
much more that could be discussed concerning structural dynamic
modification but space limitations restrict this.
EXPERIMENTAL
MODAL
TESTING

FINITE
ELEMENT
MODELING

MODAL
PARAMETER
ESTIMATION

PERFORM
EIGEN
SOLUTION

So should I collect modal data

or operating data?

RIB
STIFFNER

MASS

DEVELOP
MODAL
MODEL

SPRING

Repeat
until
desired
characteristics
are
obtained

STRUCTURAL
CHANGES
REQUIRED

No

DASHPOT

DONE

Yes

USE SDM
TO EVALUATE
STRUCTURAL

STRUCTURAL

CHANGES

DYNAMIC
MODIFICATIONS

Fig 29 Schematic of the SDM Process

In addition to structural dynamic modification studies, other

simulations can be performed such as force response
simulation to predict system response due to applied forces.
And another very important aspect of modal testing is the
correlation and correction of an analytical model such as a
finite element model. These are a few of the more important
aspects relating to the use of a modal model which are
schematically shown in Figure 30.

FREQUENCY
RESPONSE
MEASUREMENTS

And one of the final questions that is often asked is which test is
best to perform

Of course with tight schedules and budgets, do I really need to

collect both modal data and operating data? This is always
difficult to answer but it is always better to have both whenever
possible. If only one of the two is available, then many times some
engineering decisions may be made without full knowledge of the
system characteristics. To summarize, lets point out the
differences between each of the data sets.
Modal data requires that the force is measured in order to
determine the frequency response function and resulting modal
parameters. Only modal data will give the true principal
characteristics of the system. In addition, structural dynamic
modifications and forced response can only be studied using
modal data (operating data cannot be used for these types of
studies). Also correlation with a finite element model is best
performed using modal data. But of course it needs to be clearly
stated that modal data alone does not identify whether a structure is
adequate for an intended service or application since modal data is
independent of the forces on the system.

FINITE
ELEMENT
MODEL

CORRECTIONS

PARAMETER
ESTIMATION

RIB
STIFFNER

STRUCTURAL
DYNAMIC
MODIFICATIONS

EIGENVALUE
SOLVER

MASS
MODAL
PARAMETERS

MODEL
VALIDATION

MODAL
PARAMETERS

SPRING
SYNTHESIS
OF A
DYNAMIC MODAL MODEL

MASS, DAMPING,
STIFFNESS CHANGES

STRUCTURAL
DYNAMICS
MODIFICATION

MODIFIED
MODAL
DATA

FORCED
RESPONSE
SIMULATION

DASHPOT

Fig 31 - Modal Model Characteristics

REAL WORLD
FORCES

STRUCTURAL
RESPONSE

Fig 30 Overall Dynamic Modeling Process

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Peter Avitabile Rev 052700 D R A F T D O C U M E N T for Sound&Vibration Mgazine

Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory

University of Massachusetts Lowell

Operating data on the other hand is an actual depiction of how the

structure behaves in service. This is extremely useful information.
However, many times the operating shapes are confusing and do
not necessarily provide clear guidance as to how to solve or correct
an operating problem (and modification and response tools cannot
be utilized on operating data).

Summary

Some simple explanations were used to describe structural vibration

and the use of some of the available tools for the solution of
structural dynamic problems. This was all achieved without the use
of any detailed mathematical relationships. In order to better
understand more of the details of the data presented here, a
theoretical treatment of this material is necessary.

References

Fig 32 - Operating Data Characteristics

The best situation exists when both operating data and modal data
are used in conjunction to solve structural dynamic problems.

1) Lecture Notes, Peter Avitabile, Modal Analysis I & II,

University of Massachusetts Lowell
2) Seminar Presentation Notes, Peter Avitabile
3)The Modal Handbook, A Multimedia Computer Based Training
and Reference Guide, Dynamic Decisions, Merrimack, NH,
info@dynamicdecisions.com

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Peter Avitabile Rev 052700 D R A F T D O C U M E N T for Sound&Vibration Mgazine

Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory

University of Massachusetts Lowell