Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine

Department of Mechanical Engineering

ME3 Machine System Dynamics

Dynamics and Fatigue Tutorial 3

A dynamic absorber is to be designed to counteract the vertical vibration experienced on a single cylinder
reciprocating pump running at 1500 rpm. Vibration measurements made with an accelerometer show that the major
response frequency is at the running speed of rotation.
An experimental prototype absorber is fitted to the top of the pump casing. A uniform mild steel beam is clamped
directly onto the pump, above the pump centre-line and adjustable steel block masses fitted to each arm, as shown in
Figure 1.

Dynamic
Absorber

Pump

Figure 1 Proposed absorber arrangement.

The proposed mild steel beam is 10mm wide and 6 mm high. Each steel block mass is 0.3 kg.
(i) Predict the cantilever length required to tune the absorbers. Ignore the beam mass.

The position of the masses is adjusted along the beam until the pump shows no vibration at the normal running speed.
At that speed the masses show a total vertical movement of 30mm.
(ii) Estimate the total vertical force generated by the pump in normal operation.
(iii) Estimate the maximum stress in the cantilever.
Figure 2 shows the SN curve for a typical Mild Steel. Note scale and units ! .

Figure 2 SN curve for Mild steel

(iv) If the pump runs for 6 hours per day, will the proposed cantilever beam fail, if so estimate the approximate time to
failure. What factors could influence the life ?
(v) What design changes could inprove the design life. ?
Are there any other problems that could arise. ?

(i) L = 247 mm, (ii) 221 N (iii) 453 MPA (iv) 50,000 cycles = about 33 minutes.
ME3 MSD Tutorial Sheet 3 FC 1/1