Frequency analysis of cylindrical panels using a wave propagation approach X.M. Zhang *, G.R. Liu, K.Y. Lam Institute of High Performance Computing, 89-C Science Park Drive #02-11/12, The Rutherford, Singapore Science Park 1, Singapore 118261, Singapore Received 2 March 2000; received in revised form 31 May 2000; accepted 5 July 2000 Abstract The vibration analysis of cylindrical panels using a wave propagation method is presented. Results obtained using the method have been evaluated against those available in the litera- ture and good agreement has been found. The present method is a simple, non-iterative and eective method. With the present method the eects of panel parameters, axial mode m, circumferential mode n, thickness parameter h=r, length parameter L=B and shallowness angle  0 on the frequencies are investigated. The frequency curves present three patterns for three dierent regions of shallowness angle  0 . They are respectively increase-shaped curves, u- shaped curves and decrease-shaped curves for small, middle and large shallowness angle  0 . For large circumferential mode n the frequencies are determined by n and regardless of L=B ratios. The stiness of the panel increases rapidly with the increase of thickness of panel for small shallowness angle  0 , but not so for larger shallowness angles  0 . The frequencies for the square planform types of panel are larger than that for the rectangular planform types of panel. The frequencies increase with the increase of shallowness angle  0 . # 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Frequency analysis; Cylindrical panels; Wave propagation 1. Introduction Cylindrical panels are the practical elements of many types of engineering struc- tures such as aeroplanes, marine crafts and construction buildings. Understanding the vibration of these structures is very important for engineers to design suitable Applied Acoustics 62 (2001) 527±543 www.elsevier.com/locate/apacoust 0003-682X/01/$ - see front matter # 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S0003-682X(00)00059-1 * Corresponding author. Fax: +65-775-0092. E-mail address: zhangxm@ihpc.nus.edu.sg (X.M. Zhang).