35. Spectral Element Method for Cable Harnessed Structure

This paper presents a predictive model of a cable-harnessed structure through using the Spectral Element Method (SEM) and this is compared to a finite element approach. SEM is an element-based method that combines the generality of the finite element method with the accuracy of spectral techniques. The exact dynamic stiffness matrices are used as the element matrices in the Finite Element Method (FEM). Thus it is possible to generate the meshes on geometric domains of concern. The spectral element can be assembled in the same terminology of the FEM. After assembly and application of the boundary conditions, the global matrix can be solved for response of model, repeatedly at all discrete frequencies because the dynamic stiffness matrices are computed at each frequency. Here we model a cable-harnessed structure as a double beam system. The presented SEM model can define location and number of connections very conveniently. Comparison is conducted between the FEM and SEM for several cases. The results show that the proposed SEM approach can be used as the exact solution of cable harnessed structures.