Re: [Harp-L] FEA and modern design

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Eric Chard" <jeric@xxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 1:23 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] FEA and modern design


> > That said, new tools are available that should improve the design 
> > process.
> > Finite Element Analysis (FEA) should be able to analyze a reed geometry
> > and predict the pitch, stiffness, and stress distribution.
> >
>
> Surely there must be a Ph.D. candidate somewhere that needs a thesis 
> topic!!
If one has the software and is fluent in using it, reed design is probably a 
routine application.  A cantilever beam with non-uniform cross section would 
seem to be a pretty simple problem for FEA. Such a project probably doesn't 
have the potential for scientific discovery that a good thesis subject 
requires.

A few years ago, I wrote a Qbasic program that would analyze a reed geometry 
and predict pitch, stiffness and stress distribution.  I only checked out 
the pitch but on a set of reeds from a C diatonic harp, the worst error was 
a wholetone and most predictions were much closer.  I have been looking for 
FEA software that I can afford.  For a harp enthusiast, (or a manufacturer 
with a non-traditional mind-set about reed design) there is a lot of 
interesting investigation to be done.

I suppose that some manufacturer may have done it and is keeping the results 
as a trade secret.

Vern
Visit my harmonica website: http://www.Hands-Free-Chromatic.7p.com