A Fourier series solution for the transverse vibration response of a beam with a viscous boundary

This paper presents the generalized Fourier series solution for the transverse vibration of a beam subjected to a viscous boundary. The model of the system produces a non-self-adjoint eigenvalue-like problem which does not yield orthogonal eigenfunctions; therefore, such functions cannot be used to calculate the coefficients of expansion in the Fourier series. Furthermore, the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues are complex valued. Nevertheless, the eigenfunctions can be utilized if the space of the operator is extended and a suitable inner product is defined. The methodology presented in this paper utilizes Hilbert space methods and is applicable in general to other problems of this type. As an adjunct to the theoretical discussion, the results from numerical simulations are presented.