The Equivalent Solution is a mathematical technique used in vibration engineering to simplify the analysis of

complex vibrating systems. It involves representing the system as a single equivalent mass-spring-damper
system, which can be analyzed using simple harmonic motion equations. This method reduces system complexity
without losing important information about its behavior, making it useful for analyzing systems with many
degrees of freedom, such as multi-story buildings or large structures with interconnected components. To use
the method, engineers must first identify the natural frequencies of the system, which are the frequencies at
which the system will vibrate with the greatest amplitude when subjected to a periodic force.

In vibration engineering, the idea of "equivalent user" is used to illustrate the impact of dynamic loads on a
building or system, such as those induced by human or machine operation. The equivalent user is a
mathematical model that approximates the dynamic loads created by a genuine user or machine as a static load
occurring at a given spot on the structure. This static load is derived depending on the frequency content and
intensity of the dynamic stresses and is used to calculate the structural response and design requirements. By
adopting the similar user technique, vibration engineers may model the effect of actual stresses on a building or
system without the requirement for extensive and sophisticated dynamic analyses.

Equivalent Damping is a mathematical approach used in vibration engineering to represent the dampening
behavior of a complex vibrating mechanism as a single corresponding damping coefficient. This coefficient is
used in equations for movement for simple harmonic motion, allowing engineers to forecast system movements
and create effective damping tactics. The equivalent damping coefficient is obtained by calculating damping
acting on all parts of the system and integrating them to accurately represent the overall damping performance.
This approach simplifies system assessment in various operating situations, identifying potential causes of
vibration and instabilities, especially in high-speed machines or structures subjected to variable stresses.

Free vibration is an elastic vibration where a force is applied once, and the structure or part vibrates at its natural
frequency. It occurs when no external force operates on the body after experiencing an initial displacement. The
vibration is initiated by an energy input, but the vibrations die away over time as the energy is dissipated. When
the body is moved away from its rest position, a natural force tries to return it to its rest position. Free vibration
occurs when a mechanical system is started in motion with an initial input and allowed to vibrate freely.
Examples of free vibration include the oscillation of a pendulum, a plucked guitar string, pulling a child back on a
swing, tapping a tuning fork, and the vertical oscillatory motion felt by a bicyclist after hitting a road bump.

Harmonic motion is the periodic motion of an oscillating mass, where the restoring force is proportional to the
displacement but in opposite directions. It can be represented by a sine wave with constant frequency and
amplitude. This type of periodic motion can repeat regularly or display irregularity. The simplest type of periodic
motion is harmonic motion, which is the motion imparted to the mass due to the Scotch yoke mechanism. The
acceleration of a particle executing harmonic motion is given by a(t) = -ω2 x(t), where ω is the particle's angular
velocity. Studying simple harmonic motion is crucial for understanding sound waves, light waves, and alternating
currents. Any oscillatory motion not simple harmonic can be expressed as a superposition of several harmonic
motions of different frequencies.
Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM) Overview
• Special case of oscillation with a straight line between extreme points.
• Object path must be a straight line.
• Restoring force directed towards equilibrium position or mean position.
• Mean position in SHM is a stable equilibrium.

Types of Simple Harmonic Motion

SHM or Simple Harmonic Motion can be classified into two types:
Linear SHM
• Particle moves about a fixed point along a straight line.
• For example, in a spring-mass system, restoring force or acceleration should be proportional to particle
displacement and directed towards equilibrium.
Angular SHM
• System oscillates angular long with fixed axis.
• Execution conditions: restoring torque proportional to particle's angular displacement, directed towards
equilibrium position.
Τ ∝ θ or α ∝ θ
Where,
• Τ – Torque
• α angular acceleration
• θ – angular displacement

Viscous damping refers to damping that is directly related to the system's velocity. In other words, the damping
force resists the mass's motion more strongly the faster it travels. Viscous drag forces are created by fluids like air
and water.

Viscous damping
refers to damping
that is directly

proportional to the system's velocity.

In other
words, the damping force opposes the
mass's motion more strongly the
quicker it moves. Viscous drag
forces are produced by fluids like air
and water.
Viscous Damping Equation
 → Damping Linear Motion , c = N-s/m

→ Damping Rotational Motion, c = N-m s/rad

System at rest in the equilibrium position, damper produced no force (no velocity)

System at perturbed (unsettled) state

(applying an initial displacement, an initial velocity, or both). The system will tend to move back to its
equilibrium position.

System Equation of Motion Process

• Sketch the system with a small positive perturbation.

• Draw a free body diagram of the perturbed system.
• Use Newton's Second Law to find the system's equation of motion.
• Move all terms of the equation to one side and check for positive terms.
• If all terms are not positive, there's an error in displacement, acceleration, or spring/damper force direction.

Design in vibration refers to adjusting the physical parameters of a device to achieve a specified shape or
performance criteria. The shape of the response is determined by the damping ratio, which depends on the
values of m, c, and k. Stiffness consideration is also an important aspect of design, as formulas for modulus and
geometric dimensions can be used to design a system with a given natural frequency. Frequency is a significant
problem in design, as it changes significantly with fuel consumption and operation sensitivity. Design work often
involves using available devices to produce configurations that suit a particular application. For example, spring
stiffness is often mass-produced and inexpensive, but formulas for parallel and series connections can be used to
achieve desired stiffness. However, designing a spring-mass system to achieve a desired natural frequency may
not produce an acceptable static deflection, making the design process complicated. The size and material of the
device also determine these parameters, making the design procedure a compromise.

Stability is a crucial characteristic for any vibrating system, especially linear and time-invariant ones. A system is
considered asymptotically stable if its free-vibration response approaches zero as time approaches infinity.
Instability occurs when the free-vibration response grows without bound, approaching infinity as time
approaches infinity. Marginally stable systems remain constant or oscillate as time approaches infinity. Stable
systems have only the forced response as the free-vibration response approaches zero.

Stability can be interpreted in terms of the roots of the characteristic roots of the system. Systems with roots in
the left half-plane (LHP) yield either pure exponential decay or damped sinusoidal free-vibration responses,
which decay to zero as time approaches infinity. Systems with roots in the right half-plane (with positive real
part) yield either pure exponentially increasing or exponentially increasing sinusoidal free-vibration responses,
which approach infinity as time approaches infinity. Systems with roots on the imaginary axis of the s-plane yield
pure sinusoidal oscillations, which neither increase nor decrease in amplitude as time grows.