Rigid Body Dynamics

Acceleration analysis of a rigid body rotating about a fixed axis

Outline

• Acceleration of a point of a rotating rigid body

• Normal and tangential components of the acceleration

• Vector representation of the acceleration

1. Acceleration of a point of a rigid body rotating about a fixed axis

Rotation of a RB about a fixed axis

𝑒റ𝑡 angular velocity w, angular acceleration a
y a
𝑟റ B
w Motion of point B: along a circular path of radius r
𝑒റ𝑛 s x
A q velocity: v = 𝑠ሶ = rw, direction 𝑒റ𝑡

Acceleration:
From t to t+dt, v becomes v’, direction change dq
change of 𝑣റ in 𝑒റ𝑛 direction: v(dq) = rw(dq)
𝑣റ 𝑡 + 𝑑𝑡 = 𝑣′
റ change of 𝑣റ in 𝑒റ𝑡 direction: dv = r(dw)
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑟w𝑑q/𝑑𝑡 = rw2
𝑣(𝑡)
റ
y 𝑣′
റ at = r(dw/dt)= rw=
ሶ ra
B റ rw2𝑒റ𝑛+ra𝑒റ𝑡
𝑎=
dq

𝑟റ s 𝑎റ = a𝑛𝑒റ𝑛+at𝑒റ𝑡
dq
A
x The normal acceleration is, 𝑎റ 𝑛= rw2𝑒റ𝑛
q
The tangential acceleration is, 𝑎റ 𝑡= ra𝑒റ𝑡
2. Vector representation of the acceleration of a
point of a rotating rigid body Angular acceleration as a vector
magnitude a and direction 𝑘,
റ w2𝑒റ𝑛+ra𝑒റ𝑡
𝑎=r 𝑗റ
a = a𝑘
𝑖റ a + (CCW)
𝑒റ𝑡 a - (CW)
y a
B 𝑘 a
𝑟റ w
𝑒റ𝑛 s
A q x
Normal acceleration
𝑎റ 𝑡 𝑎റ 𝑛= rw2𝑒റ𝑛 = −w2𝑟റ
𝑒റ𝑡 Tangential acceleration
𝑎റ 𝑡= ra𝑒റ𝑡 = a × 𝑟റ
𝑟റ B
The magnitude is ar. The direction of the cross
𝑎റ 𝑛 product follows the right hand rule.
𝑒റ𝑛
𝑎റ = a × 𝑟റ − w2𝑟റ
A

a
Example A circular disk of radius r = 0.1 (m) is
driven by a cable without slipping, as shown.
The cable moves with a constant acceleration
a = 0.2 m/s2. If the disk and the cable are at
rest at t = 0 (s), determine the accelerations of
points A and B at t = 2(s).
Solution
At t = 2(s), for cable, a = 0.2 m/s2, v = at = 0.2*2 = 0.4 m/s
Velocity at C of disk: vc = v = 0.4 m/s
Angular velocity of disk: w = vc/r = 0.4/0.1 = 4 rad/s (CW)
Tangential acceleration at C of disk: act = a = 0.2 m/s2
Angular acceleration of disk: a = act/r = 0.2/0.1 = 2 rad/s2 (CW)

𝑒റ𝑡 C cable
Point A
B Tangential acceleration: aAt = ar = 2*0.1 = 0.2 m/s2
𝑒റ𝑛
𝑗റ Normal acceleration aAn = rw2 = 0.1*42 = 1.6 m/s2
450
v
q 𝑎റ A = 0.2𝑒റ𝑡+1.6𝑒റ𝑛 = 0.2റ𝑗 + 1.6റ𝑖 (m/s2)
A 𝑖റ a
o Point B
Tangential acceleration: aBt = ar = 2*0.1 = 0.2 m/s2
Normal acceleration aBn = rw2 = 0.1*42 = 1.6 m/s2

√2 √2 √2 √2
𝑎റ B = 0.2𝑒റ𝑡+1.6𝑒റ𝑛 = 0.2( 𝑖റ + 𝑗റ) + 1.6( 𝑖റ − 𝑗റ) (m/s2)
2 2 2 2
= 0.9 2 𝑖റ − 0.7 2 𝑗റ (m/s2)
Example A circular disk of radius r = 0.1 (m) is Solution
driven by a cable without slipping, as shown. At t = 2(s), for cable, a = 0.2 m/s2, v = at = 0.2*2 = 0.4 m/s
The cable moves with a constant acceleration
a = 0.2 m/s2. If the disk and the cable are at Velocity at C of disk: vc = v = 0.4 m/s
rest at t = 0 (s), determine the accelerations of Angular velocity of disk: w = vc/r = 0.4/0.1 = 4 rad/s (CW)
points A and B at t = 2(s).
Tangential acceleration at C of disk: act = a = 0.2 m/s2
𝑒റ𝑡 C cable
Angular acceleration of disk: a = act/r = 0.2/0.1 = 2 rad/s2 (CW)
B
𝑒റ𝑛
𝑗റ Vector notation w = −4𝑘 (rad/s), a = −2𝑘 (rad/s2)
450
v
q
A 𝑖റ
o a Point A: 𝑎റ A = a × 𝑟റ𝐴 − w2𝑟റ𝐴
= (−2𝑘) × (−0.1റ𝑖 ) − 42(−0.1റ𝑖 ) = 0.2റ𝑗 + 1.6റ𝑖 (m/s2)

Point B: 𝑎റ B = a × 𝑟റ𝐵 − w2𝑟റ𝐵

𝑗റ 2 2
= (−2𝑘) × [0.1( − 𝑖റ + 𝑗റ)]
2 2
𝑘 × 𝑖റ = 𝑗റ √2 √2
−42[0.1( − 𝑖റ + 𝑗റ)]
𝑖റ 2 2
𝑘 × 𝑗റ = − 𝑖റ = -0.1 √2 (-𝑘 × 𝑖റ + 𝑘 × 𝑗റ) −0.8 2( − 𝑖റ + 𝑗റ)
𝑘
=0.9 2 𝑖റ − 0.7 2 𝑗റ (m/s2)
Consider the following questions:

For a point of a rotating rigid body the normal acceleration is related only to the angular
velocity, and the tangential acceleration is related only to the angular acceleration, why?

How to properly identify the magnitude and direction of the acceleration of a point of a
rotating rigid body?