ES3860

THE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK

Third Year Examinations: June 2017

DYNAMICS OF VIBRATING SYSTEMS

Candidates should answer ALL FOUR QUESTIONS.

Time Allowed: 3 hours.

Only calculators that conform to the list of models approved by the School of Engineering may
be used in this examination. The Engineering Databook and standard graph paper will be
provided. A sheet of formulae, which may be used without proof, is appended to the end of this
examination paper.

Read carefully the instructions on the answer book and make sure that the particulars required are
entered on each answer book.
ES3860

1. A spool with outer radius R and inner radius r = 12 R rolls on the ground without slip. The spool
has a total mass of m and moment of intertia for a rotation around its central axis of J = 14 mR2 . It
is restrained by a horizontal spring of stiffness k acting between the wall and its axis. A massless
and inextensible string is wound around the inner radius of the spool as in Figure Q1. It is
connected to a trolley of mass 5m with a spring of stiffness 4k. The trolley slides frictionlessly
and is attached to a rigid wall with a further spring of stiffness 4k. The masses of the springs are
neglegible.

(a) How many degrees of freedom does this system possess? Suggest a good set of generalised
coordinates for describing its motion. (4 marks)

(b) Use Lagrange’s equations to derive the equations of motion for free oscillation of this model.
(14 marks)

(c) Hence, determine the natural frequencies of this system in terms of k and m. (7 marks)

Spool

R
m, J
k
Trolley
r 4k 4k
5m

Figure Q1

1 (continued)
ES3860

2. A cantilevered steel beam (density r = 7850 kg m 3 , Young’s modulus E = 200 GPa) has a
length L = 0.406 m and square cross section of width a = 12.7 mm. The end of the beam is
deflected by applying a concentrated load to its free end and then released. The displacement of
the free end over time h(t) is measured with a laser distance sensor. The distance sensor output
is reproduced in Figure Q2.

(a) Starting from Figure Q2, qualitatively describe the different phases of motion of h(t).
(4 marks)

(b) From the diagram, determine the damped natural frequency wd and the damping ratio z of
the system, assuming harmonic motion. Estimate the undamped natural frequency wn .
(9 marks)

(c) Approximate the fundamental angular frequency of the beam using Rayleigh’s method,
assuming a modal shape of y = cx2 . Compare this result to the measurement. How could
you improve the result from Rayleigh’s method? (9 marks)

(d) Going beyond Rayleigh’s method, how could you achieve a better match between model
and experiment? (3 marks)
1.2
h(t)
1.0
0.8
0.6
Amplitude [mm]

0.4
0.2
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Time [ms]

Figure Q2

2 (continued)
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3. Answer all of the following sections

(a) Why is the use of linear viscous damping preferred when modelling damped mechanical
systems? Explain how a non-linear damping characteristic can be approximated by an
equivalent viscous damper, developing general equations for this process. (8 marks)

(b) Explain how the concept of equivalence can be used to simplify single-DOF systems by
combining a number of mass or stiffness elements into a single element. Give an example
of a system where the equivalent mass is useful and describe how it is calculated.
(8 marks)

(c) A 2-DOF vibration system is described by the matrix equations of motion

! !
ẍ1 x1
M +K =0
ẍ2 x2

where the mass matrix M and stiffness matrix K are given by

! !
1 0 3 1
M= kg, K = Nm 1 .
0 1 1 3
p 1 1
Verify that w1 = 2 rad s and w2 = 2 rad s are natural frequencies of the system, and
determine and sketch the associated mode shapes. Comment on the number of nodes in each
mode. (9 marks)

3 (continued)
ES3860

4. A seismometer can be designed to measure the displacement of the surface to which it is attached
using a 1 DOF vibration system as illustrated in Figure Q4 below.

(a) Write the governing equation of the system in terms of the spring extension z = x y.
(4 marks)

(b) If the ground moves with a simple harmonic excitation y(t) = Ye jwt , suggest an expression
for the steady-state extension of the spring. (2 marks)

(c) Show that the steady-state ratio of the magnitudes of the spring extension z(t) and the ground
movement y(t) is given by
⇣ ⌘2
w
z(t) wn
= r⇣ ⌘2 ⇣ ⌘2
y(t) w2 w
1 wn2
+ 2z wn

where wn is the natural frequency of undamped vibration and z is the damping ratio.
(8 marks)

(d) Hence identify the limit in which the system will act as a seismometer and state the
approximation required. (3 marks)

(e) For a seismometer with a mass of 500 kg, spring stiffness of 5 N m 1 and damping constant
of 10 N s m 1 , find the percentage error in the measured displacement for an excitation of
frequency 0.2 rad s 1 . (6 marks)

(f) Comment on how this error could be reduced without changing the mass of the seismometer.
(2 marks)

x b
m
k y

Figure Q4

4 (continued)
ES3860

Formula Sheet for ES3860: Dynamics of Vibrating Systems

In addition to information in the Data Book, the following formulae (given here without identifying
annotation) may be used without proof in solutions, if appropriate.
Lagrange’s equation: ✓ ◆
d ∂T ∂ T ∂V
+ = Qext .
dt ∂ q̇i ∂ qi ∂ qi
Free response of a single degree of freedom underdamped system:
⇢ ✓q ◆
z wn t
x(t) = e C sin 1 z wn t + j
2 .

Logarithmic decrement method:

✓ ◆
x1 1
d = ln = 2pz p
x2 1 z2
Convolution integral:
Zt
x(t) = f (x )h(t x )dx .
0
Euler equation for lateral vibration of beam:
∂ 4y m ∂ 2y
+ = 0.
∂ x4 EI ∂t 2
Rayleigh’s Method:

• As a matrix formulation for lumped system models:

{X}T [K]{X} {X}T [M]{X}
w2 = w2 = .
{X}T [M]{X} {X}T [M][K] 1 [M]{X}

• For transverse vibration of a beam (continuous distribution mass/stiffness):

Z ✓ 2 ◆2
d y
EI dx
2 dx2
w = Z .
y2 dm

Whirling amplitude for SDOF systems:

✓ ◆2 ✓ ◆
w w 2
2 d d
dw wn wn
uy = 2 = ✓ ◆ ! or uy = v
w wn2
w 2 u ✓ ◆2 !2 ✓ ◆
1
u
t 1 w 2z w 2
wn wn
+
wn

5 (continued)
ES3860

ES3860: Dynamics of Vibrating Systems

ERRATUM

The following figure replaces the third figure from the top (forced damped vibration) on page 63 of
the Engineering Data Book.

6 (END)