‫ליטית‬‫מיקה א‬‫די‬ ‫ולוגי לישראל‬‫ י ו ן – מכון טכ‬ ‫ה ט כ‬

‫סמסטר חורף תשפ"א‬ ‫ות‬‫דסת מכו‬‫הפקולטה לה‬

Analytical Dynamics – Exam A

The duration is 3 hours. The exam is 'open book'. Good Luck.

I (30%)

Consider a relief-valve mechanism in Figure 1 which is used to protect a pneumatic system from
overpressure. The mechanism consists of a helical Ball Valve (with mass m) that is pressed by a uniform
helical spring against an O-Ring Seat (or Valve Seat) which has nonlinear elastic stiffness properties (KS).
The helical Spring can be described as a longitudinal rod of length L, mass M (M=ρAL) and stiffness
constant K (K=EA/L). The rod displacement is u(x,t). The nonlinear hyperelastic force of the O-Ring is
restoring and includes both linear and cubic terms [αu(L,t)+βu3(L,t)]. In addition to the forces exerted by the
Spring and Seat, the Ball is subjected to a pressure where it comes to contact with the fluid. The pressure
force has a static component (S), and a harmonically varying dynamic component [Fcos(Ωt)].

1. Formulate the kinetic and potential energy densities (0<x<L) for the longitudinal rod (e.g. Valve Spring)
and derive the total Lagrangian including both the energy densities of the rod and the energies of the
localized (x=L) Ball Valve (x=L).

2. Formulate the virtual work done by the nonconservative pressure force acting on the Ball Valve, and
formulate the virtual work done by a linear viscous damping force distributed along the length of the
longitudinal rod (with damping constant D).

Figure 1. The relief-valve mechanism (left) and definition sketch (right).

II (30%)
Consider a coupled parametrically excited damped nonlinear two-degree-of-freedom dynamical system
described by the following non-dimensional equations of motion:
xττ + α x 2 xτ + γ cos(Ωτ ) x + κ x 3 + 2η xy = 0
yττ + β yτ + η x 2 = 0
Where the parameters α , β , γ ,η , κ , Ω are constants.

1. Formulate the Hamiltonian of the conservative sub-system ( α = β = 0 ), and derive the corresponding
Hamilton’s equations for the dynamical system.

1
 ‫ליטית‬‫מיקה א‬‫די‬ ‫ולוגי לישראל‬‫ י ו ן – מכון טכ‬ ‫ה ט כ‬
‫סמסטר חורף תשפ"א‬ ‫ות‬‫דסת מכו‬‫הפקולטה לה‬

2. Can the generalized forces in the non-conservative Hamiltonian system be determined form a gradient
function (or Rayleigh dissipation function)? If so, formulate the gradient function. If not – justify your answer.

3. Determine stability of the zero-equilibrium fixed point of the decoupled system (η = 0 ). Consider both the
unforced ( γ = 0 ) case, and the parametrically excited case ( γ > 0 ). Comment on the properties
of the equilibrium stability (e.g. local vs. global, asymptotic vs. uniform) and what are the
possible solutions beyond the stability threshold (e.g. divergence, periodic).

III (40%)
Consider the following weakly nonlinear harmonically excited Rayleigh oscillator:

qττ + ωn2 q = ε γ cos(Ωτ ) − (α + β qτ2 )qτ 

Where ε is a small parameter, and the parameters ωn , α , β , γ , Ω are constants.

1. Using the method of multiple scales derive the slowly-varying complex evolution equation for the
harmonically excited Rayleigh oscillator. Note your assumptions clearly.

2. Formulate the slowly-varying amplitude and phase equations and determine the approximate solution form
and note its order of accuracy.

3. Determine the frequency-response (or amplitude detuning relation) for the case of α > 0, β > 0 . Comment
on possible coexistence of slowly-varying amplitudes, their periodicity, and orbital stability.
Sketch the form of the frequency-response curve.

4. Determine the frequency-response (or amplitude detuning relation) for the case of α < 0, β > 0 . Comment
of possible coexisting solutions, their periodicity, and orbital stability.
Sketch the form of the frequency-response curve.