FREE VIBRATION

TOPIC OUTLINE
1. FREE VIBRATION
1.1 HARMONIC MOTION
1.2 VISCOUS DAMPING
1.3 STABILITY
1.4 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOME
Describe free vibration.

Identify the causes of free vibration.

Discuss / explain various mathematical concepts related to the topics.

Investigate how free vibrations were considered in mechanical designs.

 FREE VIBRATION

Also known as natural vibration, it occurs when no external force has been
applied to the body after a displacement has been given. The frequency of this
type of vibration is called free or natural frequency.

These vibrations occur when a machine is started in motion with no initial input
and allowed to vibrate freely. The machine vibrates at one or more natural
frequencies before becoming stable. The resolution of free vibration is usually
approximately sinusoidal. The amplitude appears to decrease with time.
 FREE VIBRATION

Also known as natural vibration, it occurs when no external force has

been applied to the body after a displacement has been given. The
frequency of this type of vibration is called free or natural frequency.

These vibrations occur when a machine is started in motion with no

initial input and allowed to vibrate freely. The machine vibrates at
one or more natural frequencies before becoming stable. The
resolution of free vibration is usually approximately sinusoidal. The
amplitude appears to decrease with time.
Examples of Free Vibration:

1. Swinging a child back and letting it go.

2.Tapping and letting the tuning fork sound.
3. Musical instrument notes
3. The oscillation of the simple pendulum
4. Fluctuations of an object attached to a horizontal spring.
 TYPES OF FREE VIBRATION

Free vibrations are further classified into three types, which are
described below:

1.Longitudinal vibration

2.Transverse vibration

3.Torsional vibration
LONGITUDINAL VIBRATION
When vibration has applied, the
particles of the shaft or disc travel
parallel to the axis of the shaft; this is
known as longitudinal vibration.

In this condition, the shaft is alternately

lengthened and shortened, creating
tensile and compressive stresses in the
shaft. For a sound wave traveling
through the air, these vibrations are
described as longitudinal.
TRANSVERSE VIBRATION

When vibration is applied, the particles

of the shaft or disc move back and forth
in a direction perpendicular to the shaft
axis; this is known as transverse
vibration. In this case, the shaft is
straightened and bent, causing bending
stress in the shaft.
TORSIONAL VIBRATION

When vibration is applied, the particles

of the shaft or disc rotate around the
axis of the shaft; it is called torsional
vibration. In this way, the shaft is
twisted and separated alternately,
creating torsional shear stress in the
shaft.
 Term

Period - is the time taken to complete one full cycle of motion. It is the reciprocal of the natural
frequency.
Amplitude - is the maximum displacement from the equilibrium position. In undamped free
vibration, the amplitude remains constant over time.
Frequency - is the number of cycles per unit of time.
 HARMONIC MOTION
Oscillatory motion may repeat itself regularly, as in the case of a
simple pendulum, or it may display considerable irregularity, as in
the case of ground motion during an earthquake. If the motion is
repeated after equal intervals of time, it is called periodic motion.
Simple Harmonic Motion
Simple Harmonic motion is a special type of periodic motion an
object experiences due to a restoring force whose magnitude is
directly proportional to the distance of the object from an
equilibrium position and acts towards the equilibrium position.

Harmonic motion refers to the motion an oscillating mass

experiences when the restoring force is proportional to the
displacement, but in opposite directions. Harmonic motion is
periodic and can be represented by a sine wave with constant
frequency and amplitude.

An example of this is a weight bouncing on a spring.

Important terms related to a Simple Harmonic Motion of a particle:

Displacement (x): Displacement at any instant of time is defined as

the net distance travelled by the body executing SHM from its mean
or equilibrium position.

Amplitude (A): The amplitude of oscillation is defined as the

maximum displacement of the body executing SHM on either side of
the mean position.
Velocity (v): Velocity at any instant is defined as the rate of change of
displacement with time. For a body executing SHM, its velocity is maximum at
the mean position and minimum (zero) at the extremes. The Velocity of the
body is inversely proportional to the displacement from the mean position.

Acceleration (a): Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity with

time. Unlike velocity, acceleration is directly proportional to displacement. It is
maximum at the extreme positions where the displacement is maximum and
minimum at the mean position (displacement = 0).

Restoring Force (FR): Restoring Force is the force that always acts in a
direction opposite to that of displacement but is directly proportional to it.
Restoring Force is maximum at the extreme positions and minimum at the
mean position.

Spring Constant (k): Spring Constant is a constant value for a particular spring
that determines the amount of force required to compress or stretch the spring
by 1 unit.
Energy (E): The total energy of the body under SHM is called
mechanical energy, mechanical energy of the body remains
constant throughout the motion if the medium is frictionless.
The Mechanical Energy of a body at any instant is the sum
total of its kinetic and potential energy.

Time Period (T): The Time Period of oscillation is defined as

the time taken by the body to complete one oscillation. In
other words, it is the time taken to cover 4 times the
amplitude.

Frequency (f): Frequency is defined as the number of

oscillations made by the body in one second. It is reciprocal
of the time period.
The simplest oscillations occur when the restoring force is
directly proportional to displacement. Recall that Hooke's
law describes this situation with the equation:
F = −kx
Where:
k – spring constant (N/m)
x – displacement (m)
Mean Position
The position of the object where there is no restoring force
acting on it is the mean position. In other words, the point about
which the object moves between its extreme position is called
the mean position of the object. The mean position is
sometimes referred to as Equilibrium Position as well.
Scotch Yoke Mechanism
 When the crank rotates at an angular velocity the end point S of
the slotted link and hence the mass m of the spring-mass system
are displaced from their middle positions by an amount x (in time t)
given by

This motion is shown by the sinusoidal curve.

The velocity of the mass m at time t is given by

And the acceleration by

It can be seen that the acceleration is directly proportional to the

displacement. Such a vibration, with the acceleration proportional to the
displacement and directed toward the mean position, is known as simple
harmonic motion.
Harmonic
motion as the
projection of
the end of a
rotating vector.

For vertical axis projection,

For horizontal axis projection,

Displacement, velocity, and
acceleration in
Simple Harmonic motion
 1.2 Viscous Damping

Viscous damping is damping that is proportional

to the velocity of the system. That is, the faster
the mass is moving, the more damping force is
resisting that motion. Fluids like air or water
generate viscous drag forces
Four Viscous Damping Cases
• UNDAMPED
• OVERDAMPED
• CRITICALLY DAMPED
• UNDERDAMPED
 UNDAMPED

This is the case covered in the

previous section. Undamped systems
oscillate about the equilibrium
position continuously, unless some
other force is applied.
 OVERDAMPED

Roots are both real and negative,

but not equal to each other.
Overdamped systems move slowly
toward equilibrium without
oscillating.
OVERDAMPED FORMULAS:
CRITICALLY DAMPED

Roots are real and both equal to

−ωn . Critically-damped systems will
allow the fastest return to equilibrium
without oscillation.
CRITICALLY DAMPED
CRITICALLY DAMPED

Roots
 UNDERDAMPED

The roots are complex numbers.

Underdamped systems do oscillate
around the equilibrium point; unlike
undamped systems, the amplitude of
the oscillations diminishes until the
system eventually stops moving at
the equilibrium position.
UNDERDAMPED
 DAMPING

A diagram showing the basic

mechanism in a viscous damper.
https://youtube.com/shorts/0Aa8c1taBr8?si=7u4B6KANdABEI5pC
Comparison of Viscous Damping
Cases
Term
1.3 STABILITY
STABILITY

The quality, state, or degree of being stable: such as

•The strength to stand or endure: Firmness

•The property of a body that causes it when disturbed from a condition

of equilibrium or steady motion to develop forces or moments that
restore the original condition.
STABILITY OF VIBRATING SYSTEM
STABLE: Its free-vibration response neither
decays nor grows but remains constant or
oscillates as time approaches infinity.

ASYMPTOTICALLY STABLE: Its free-vibration

response approaches zero as time approaches
infinity.

UNSTABLE: Its free-vibration response grows

without bound as time approaches infinity.
 FACTORS THAT AFFECTS THE
STABILITY

1. DAMPING
2.RESTORING FORCES
3. MASS AND STIFFNESS
4. ENERGY DISSIPATION
 1.4 DESIGN
CONSIDERATIONS
IMPORTANCE OF DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
FOR FREE VIBRATION
➢ Vibration problems occur in machineries which have
rotating or moving parts.

➢ The effects of vibration are excessive stresses,

undesirable noise, looseness of part and partial of
complete failure of parts.

➢ Locomotives, diesel engines mounted on unsound

foundations, whirling shaft.
➢ Vibration analysis if fundamental in predictive
maintenance, being widely used for detection
and monitoring severe faults in machinery parts,
like bearing, whirling shafts, couplings etc.
 BASIC TERMS
➢ Frequency
➢ Angular frequency
➢ Amplitude
➢ Resonance
➢ Degree of freedom
➢ Simple Harmonic Motion
➢ Damping
➢ Equilibrium
 BASIC TERMS

Angular Frequency

➢ Since we are discussing rotation, the unit

of measurement is undoubtedly radians
per second.
 BASIC TERMS
Frequency

➢ The number of cycles, or how many cycles a

specific system would finish in a unit of time,
could be per unit.

➢ Indicates the speed at which an object is

spinning to the right, hence it is merely an
advancement.
 BASIC TERMS

Amplitude

➢ We shall talk about the maximum

displacement of a vibrating body from its
mean position.
 BASIC TERMS

Resonance

➢ It happens when a vibration travels to an

object whose inherent frequency is nearly
identical to the vibration sources.
 BASIC TERMS

Degree of freedom

➢ are the number of intensive state variables

(such as pressure, temperature, and
concentration) of the constituents that are
independently and arbitrarily modifiable
without changing the system's phase count.
 BASIC TERMS

Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)

➢ a motion where the body's displacement

from its mean position is directly proportional
to the restoring force.
 BASIC TERMS
DAMPING

➢ refers to the phenomena where dissipative

factors, like friction or air resistance, cause a
vibrating system's amplitude to gradually
diminish over time. The vibration's amplitude
decreases because of these forces converting
some of its energy into different forms, such
heat.
 BASIC TERMS
Equilibrium

➢ The weight is at rest and the system uses the

least amount of energy. The system will vibrate
vertically if the weight is dragged down and then
released. Natural Law and Physics. A spring's
vibrations belong to a very basic type of motion
called simple harmonic motion (SHM).
 TYPES OF VIBRATION
FREE VIBRATION - Due to its inherent elastic
characteristics, the vibration. In this instance, no
outside exciting factor is at work.

FORCED VIBRATION - the vibrations that the system

produces in response to a periodic external push. In
this instance, the vibration frequency and excitation
frequency are the same.
 Vibration Analysis in
Designing of Mechanical Systems