Lecture

12 Vibration Absorber

“And now we no longer operate in isolation since we are aware of others.”

Chapter outline

We studied all the aspects of modeling and analysis of vibrating systems in the
previous lectures. We will now consider methods of eliminating or reducing
unwanted vibration. Method of designing a vibration absorber by adding an
auxiliary mass to absorb the vibration energy of the original mass.

Learning Objectives

After completing this chapter, the reader should be able to do the following:

• Design undamped and damped vibration absorbers.

INTRODUCTION

The vibration absorber also called dynamic vibration absorber, is a mechanical
device used to reduce or eliminate unwanted vibration. It consists of another mass
and stiffness attached to the main (or original) mass that needs to be protected
from vibration. Thus the main mass and the attached absorber mass constitute a
two-degree-of-freedom system, hence the vibration absorber will have two natural
frequencies.

Undamped Vibration Absorber

A practical application of forced vibration theory is the vibration absorber. Figure
12.1 shows an undamped system subjected to a harmonic force 𝐹" = 𝑓" 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜔𝑡 , and
the system modified by the addition of a mass- spring system.


Fig.12.1 Mass-spring system without absorber on the left and with absorber on
the right

This added mass is a vibration absorber. The equations of motion of the modified
two degree-of-freedom system are

𝑚" 𝑥" + 𝑘" + 𝑘. 𝑥" − 𝑘. 𝑥. = 𝑓" 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜔𝑡 12-1

𝑚. 𝑥. + 𝑘. 𝑥. − 𝑘. 𝑥" = 0 12-2

We rewrite each equation of motion in standard form,

𝑘" + 𝑘. 𝑘. 𝑓"
𝑥" + 𝑥" − 𝑥. = 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜔𝑡
𝑚" 𝑚" 𝑚"

𝑘. 𝑘.
𝑥. + 𝑥. − 𝑥 = 0
𝑚. 𝑚. "

and define the following parameters,

𝑚. 𝑘" 𝑘.
𝜇= , 𝜔3. = , 𝜔5. =
𝑚" 𝑚" 𝑚.

where 𝜇 is the mass ratio, 𝜔3 is the natural frequency of the primary system, and
𝜔5 is the natural frequency of the absorber. Substituting these, along with the
derived relation 𝑘. 𝑚" = 𝜇𝜔5. , into the equations of motion results in the equations

𝑓"
𝑥" + 𝜔3. + 𝜇𝜔5. 𝑥" − 𝜇𝜔5. 𝑥. = 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜔𝑡
𝑚"

𝑥. + 𝜔5. 𝑥. − 𝜔5. 𝑥" = 0

The method of the previous lecture can be used here, where harmonic forcing on
mass results in harmonic responses,

𝑥" 𝑡 = 𝑋" 𝜔 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜔𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑥. 𝑡 = 𝑋. 𝜔 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜔𝑡

The anticipated dependence of the displacement response amplitudes 𝑋" 𝜔 and
𝑋. 𝜔 on driving frequency is shown explicitly. Differentiating 𝑥" 𝑡 and 𝑥. 𝑡 twice
and substituting the resulting expressions into the equations of motion, simplifying,
and writing in matrix-vector form leads to the equation

𝑓"
𝜔3. + 𝜇𝜔5. − 𝜔. −𝜇𝜔5. 𝑋"
= 𝑚" 12-3
−𝜔5. 𝜔5. − 𝜔. 𝑋.

0
The displacement response magnitudes can be solved by taking the inverse of the
matrix in brackets, the characteristic matrix 𝑆 , resulting in

𝑋" (𝜔) 1 𝜔5. − 𝜔. 𝜇𝜔5. 𝑓" 𝑚"

=
𝑋. (𝜔) 𝑑𝑒𝑡 𝑆 𝜔5. 𝜔3. + 𝜇𝜔5. − 𝜔. 0

Then,

𝜔5. − 𝜔. 𝑓" 𝑚"

𝑋" (𝜔) = 12-4
𝑑𝑒𝑡 𝑆

𝜔5. 𝑓" 𝑚"

𝑋. (𝜔) = 12-5
𝑑𝑒𝑡 𝑆

If another harmonic force at the same frequency 𝜔 is applied to the added mass
𝑚. its effect would appear as a second term in the numerator of each expression.
The force vector in Equation 12.3 would be 𝑓" 𝑚" 𝑓. 𝑚. > . If there are two
different forcing frequencies, we solve for each forcing separately and add the
results.

Equations 12.4 and 12.5 can be simplified and written in a more useful form
where dimensionless frequency ratios are introduced. In these equations, we replace
𝑓" 𝑚" by its equivalent 𝑓" 𝜔3. 𝑘" and multiply numerator and denominator by
1 𝜔3. 𝜔5. . The ratio 𝑓" 𝑘" equals 𝑥?@5@AB the static displacement of mass 𝑚" .
Performing these operations on both equations results in the relations

𝜔 .
1− 𝑥?@5@AB
𝜔5
𝑋" 𝜔 =
𝑑𝑒𝑡 𝑆 𝜔5. 𝑘" 𝑚"

𝑥?@5@AB
𝑋. 𝜔 =
𝑑𝑒𝑡 𝑆 𝜔5. 𝑘" 𝑚"
where,

 𝑑𝑒𝑡 𝑆 𝜔 . 𝜔 . 𝜔 . 𝜔5 .
= 1+𝜇 − × 1− −𝜇
𝑘 𝜔5 𝜔3 𝜔5 𝜔3
𝜔5. "
𝑚"

𝜔 .
𝑋" 𝜔 1−
𝜔5
= . . . .
𝑥?@5@AB 𝜔 𝜔 𝜔 𝜔
1+𝜇 − × 1− −𝜇 5
𝜔5 𝜔3 𝜔5 𝜔3

𝑋. 𝜔 1
= . . . .
𝑥?@5@AB 𝜔 𝜔 𝜔 𝜔
1+𝜇 − × 1− −𝜇 5
𝜔5 𝜔3 𝜔5 𝜔3

If the driving frequency 𝜔 equals 𝜔5 , then the amplitude 𝑋" 𝜔 = 0, that is, the
primary mass does not move despite being subjected to a harmonic external force.
Let us see if this makes physical sense. For 𝜔 = 𝜔5 , the secondary amplitude
𝑋. 𝜔 = − 𝑓" 𝑘. , and the response of the absorber structure is

𝑓"
𝑥. 𝑡 = − 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜔𝑡
𝑘.

or 𝑥. 𝑡 𝑘. = −𝑓" 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜔𝑡. The left-hand side of this equation is the force exerted by
𝑚. on 𝑚" . This is equal and opposite to the force applied to 𝑚" . Since the force
due to the absorber is exactly opposite to the applied force, the primary mass does
not move.

Figure 12.2 Nondimensional displacement 𝑿𝟏 𝒙𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒄 of primary mass vs. ratio

𝝎 𝝎𝒂 , where 𝝎𝒂 = 𝝎𝒏 and the natural frequencies are 𝝎𝟏,𝟐 = 0.618 1.618
rad/s
Plotting 𝑋" 𝜔 𝑥?@5@AB vs. the ratio 𝜔 𝜔5 , as in Figure 12.2, we see that a slight
shift away from 𝜔 𝜔5 = 1 results in a large increase in amplitude. In this figure,
𝜇 = 1, 𝜔5 = 𝜔3 , and the natural frequencies are 𝜔",. = 0.618 1.618 rad/s, where
the magnitudes grow to infinity. Even though this is a conceptual example, it has
significant practical implications.

Stockbridge Vibration Absorber

A Stockbridge damper is the name given to a passive vibration absorber used to
suppress wind-induced vibrations on cables, such as overhead power lines. Figure
12.3 shows an example of the dumbbell-shaped device in use. It consists of two
masses at the ends of a short length of cable or flexible rod, which is clamped at
its middle to the main cable.

Figure 12.3: A Stockbridge damper on a power line is shown at the center.

The Stockbridge damper — really a tuned mass-spring-damper is designed to

dissipate the energy of oscillations in the main cable to an acceptable level. Due to
its distinctive shape it is sometimes called a “dog-bone damper” as a nickname.

Wind can generate three major modes of oscillation in suspended cables: (a) gallop,
which has amplitudes in meters and a frequency range of 0.08 to 3 Hz, (b) aeolian
vibration, or simply flutter, which has amplitudes of millimeters to centimeters and
a frequency of 3 to 150 Hz, and (c) wake-induced vibration, which has amplitudes
of centimeters and a frequency of 0.15 to 10 Hz.

The Stockbridge damper is designed to mitigate oscillations due to flutter. Flutter
occurs in the vertical plane and is caused by alternating shedding of vortices on
the downwind side of the cable. A steady but moderate wind can induce a standing
wave pattern on the line consisting of several wavelengths per span. Flutter causes
damaging stress fatigue to the cable and represents the principal cause of failure of
conductor strands. The ends of a power line span, where it is clamped to the
transmission towers, are at most risk.

Damped Vibration Absorber

Figure 12.3 shows a spring–mass system with damped system subjected to a
harmonic force 𝐹 = 𝑓" 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜔𝑡 , and the system modified by the addition of a mass-
spring-damper system.

Fig.12.3 Mass-spring system without absorber on the left and with damped
vibration absorber on the right

This added spring-mass-damper is a vibration absorber. The equations of motion

of the modified two degree-of-freedom system are

𝑀𝑥" + 𝑘" 𝑥" + 𝑘. 𝑥" − 𝑥. + 𝑐. 𝑥" − 𝑥. = 𝑓" 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜔𝑡 11-6

𝑚𝑥. + 𝑘. 𝑥. − 𝑥" + 𝑐. 𝑥. − 𝑥" = 0 11-7

We rewrite each equation of motion in standard form,

𝑘" 𝑥" 𝑘. 𝑥" − 𝑥. 𝑐. 𝑥" − 𝑥. 𝑓"

𝑥" + + + = 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜔𝑡

𝑀 𝑀 𝑀 𝑀
𝑘. 𝑥. − 𝑥" 𝑐. 𝑥. − 𝑥"
𝑥. + + = 0

𝑚 𝑚
and define the following parameters,

 𝑚 𝑘" 𝑘.
𝜇= , 𝜔3. = , 𝜔5. = 𝑓 = 𝜔5 𝜔3 𝑔 = 𝜔 𝜔3

𝑀 𝑀 𝑚
where 𝜇 is the mass ratio, 𝜔3 is the natural frequency of the primary system, and
𝜔5 is the natural frequency of the absorber.

By assuming the solution to be

𝑥R (𝑡) = 𝑋R 𝑒 AS@

the steady-state solution can be obtained

𝐹T 𝑘. − 𝑚𝜔. + 𝑖𝑐. 𝜔
𝑋" =
𝑘" − 𝑀𝜔 . 𝑘. − 𝑚𝜔 . − 𝑚𝑘. 𝜔 . + 𝑖𝜔𝑐. 𝑘" − 𝑀𝜔 . − 𝑚𝜔 .

𝑋" 𝑘. + 𝑖𝑐. 𝜔
𝑋. =
𝑘. − 𝑚𝜔 . + 𝑖𝜔𝑐.

the magnitudes 𝑋" and 𝑋. , can be expressed as

𝑋"
𝑥?@5@AB
" . 12-8
2𝜁𝑔 . + 𝑔. − 𝑓 . .
= .

2𝜁𝑔 𝑔. − 1 + 𝜇𝑔. . + 𝜇𝑓 . 𝑔. − 𝑔. − 1 𝑔. − 𝑓 . .

𝑋.
𝑥?@5@AB
" . 12-9
2𝜁𝑔 . + 𝑓 W
= .

2𝜁𝑔 𝑔. − 1 + 𝜇𝑔. . + 𝜇𝑓 . 𝑔. − 𝑔. − 1 𝑔. − 𝑓 . .

Equations 12.8 and 12.9 shows that the amplitude of vibration of the main mass
is a function of 𝜇, 𝑓, 𝑔 and 𝜁.

Absorber design for a rotating system with mass unbalance

A rotating system with an unbalanced mass is modeled as a single degree-of-
freedom system with a mass of 10 kg, a natural frequency of 40 Hz, and a damping
factor of 0.2. The system requires an undamped absorber so that the natural
frequencies of the resulting two degree-of-freedom system are outside the frequency
range of 30 Hz to 50 Hz. In addition, the absorber is to be designed such that for
force amplitudes of up to 6000 N at 40 Hz, the steady- state amplitude of the
absorber’s response will not exceed 20 mm.

Absorber design for a machine system

A machine has a mass of 200 kg and a natural frequency of 130 rad/s. An
absorber mass of 20 kg and a spring-damper combination is to be attached to this
machine so that the machine can be operated in as wide a frequency range as
possible around the machine’s natural frequency. We shall determine the values
for the absorber spring constant k2 and damping coefficient c2.