Use of Symbolic Mathematics in Teaching Vibration Analysis

Javed Alam
Civil/Environmental and Chemical Engineering Department
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, Ohio, 44555

ABSTRACT

The vibration analysis and structural dynamics are senior and graduate level courses in
Civil, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering programs. The course topic deals
extensively with higher level mathematics involving symbolic calculations. This paper
demonstrates the use of an open source freely available symbolic mathematics package
MAXIMA to solve the problems related to the vibration analysis.

INTRODUCTION

The vibrations in structures can lead to severe usability problems and catastrophic
failures. Engineers learn about this subject matter in a vibration analysis or structural
dynamics course [1] offered in their senior year or at the graduate level within Civil,
Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering programs. The subject matter deals with the
responses of the structural systems to the transient loading, idealized in the form of
systems of both single degree and multi degree freedom systems. The solution to these
idealized structural problems involves higher level of mathematics including advanced
calculus, matrix operations and second order homogeneous and non-homogeneous
differential equations.

In their original form these equations are solved by using symbolic algebra or numerical
techniques. The solution in symbolic form provides a more general solution to this class
of problems. There are many commercially available software packages such as
Mathematica, Maple and Mathcad [2] that can be used to solve the resulting equations.
This approach allows solving a wider class of problems as compared to the old approach
of manual solution techniques. These packages allows the instructors to tailor their
lectures with more computer assisted course material and assign problems that are closer
to the real life problems, However, these packages are not widely available at all the
Universities. Also, once the students leave the university they may not have access to
these packages at their workplace. Therefore, the use of an open source software program
MAXIMA[3] that is widely available for Windows and Unix operating systems at zero
cost to users by a simple download from the INTERNET is explored in solving problems
related to vibration analysis in symbolic algebra mode.
MAXIMA, a Computer Algebra System and its Use in Vibration Analysis

MAXIMA is a software package that allows solution of complex algebra problems

symbolically as well as numerically. It originated from the original Macysma system that
was developed at MIT in 1960. The software is available free of cost on the INTERNET
under GPL license [4]. The software has extensive set of modules that allows the solution
of very complex algebraic problems. For vibration analysis the capabilities of symbolic
differentiation, indefinite and definite integrals, matrix operations and the solution of
second order homogenous and non-homogeneous differential equations are the most
relevant. These capabilities will allow solving any vibration problem that has a close
form solution to be solved symbolically using this program. In addition to that numerical
solution can also be obtained by using the programming capabilities built into the
program. This approach provides a good blend of symbolic algebra based calculation
with purely numerical techniques where they are needed to obtain the solution to the
structural vibration problems.

Four representative problems from vibration analysis were chosen to demonstrate the
capabilities and the ease of use for MAXIMA program. The first problem uses the
symbolic integration capabilities of the MAXIMA to calculate the response of a single
degree of freedom system. The second problem uses the symbolic integration and
symbolic matrix operations to find frequencies of a tapered beam using Rayleigh-Ritz
method. The third problem uses the symbolic ordinary differential equation solver to find
a response to a single degree of freedom system under over-damped, critically damped
and under-damped conditions. Finally, the fourth problem uses the symbolic ordinary
differential equation solver to find a response of a damped single degree of freedom
system to a sinusoidal loading. The last problem demonstrates the capabilities of
MAXIMA for dealing with non-homogeneous second order ordinary differential
equations with initial values.

The next section provides the details of these problems, the maxima batch file and the
solution obtained using the MAXIMA program. A MAXIMA batch file is simply a
computer file in plain ASCII text format that contains all the necessary MAXIMA
commands needed to obtain the solution to the problem. The MAXIMA can also work in
the interactive mode where each command is typed separately. However, the use of batch
files allows solving larger problems with easier debugging possibilities. The MAXIMA
reference manual [5] provides the details of all the available commands within MAXIMA
program.
Forced Vibration Response of an Undamped Single Degree of Freedom(SDOF)
System Using Duhamel’s Integral

Figure 1. Idealized undamped SDOF and the applied loading

The governing differential equation of the system is:

d 2 x (t ) f (t )
2
 2x 
dt m

k
Where  
m

Where k represents the stiffness of the spring, m represents the attached mass and 
represents the natural frequency of the system. The x(t) is the displacement response of
the SDOF system.

The Duhamel integral response for zero initial displacement and velocity for the system
is shown below:

For t < td
t
t 1
m 0
f (t )  F0 And x(t )  f ( )sin  (t   )d
td
For t > td
f (t )  F0 And x(t ) 
1
m 
0
td t
f ( ) sin  (t   )d   f ( ) sin  (t   ) d
td 
The Maxima batch file that provides the solution is:

assume ( t>0);
assume( omega >0);
assume (cos(omega*t) >0);
assume( td >0);
assume( td > t);
assume(cos(omega*td-omega*t) >0 );
x1:integrate(F0*Tau*sin(omega*(t-Tau)),Tau,0,t)*(1/(m*omega*td));
integrate(F0*Tau*sin(omega*(t-Tau)),Tau,0,td)*(1/(m*omega*td))
+integrate(F0*sin(omega*(t-Tau)),Tau,td,t)*(1/(m*omega));
x2:factor(%);

Table 1. The maxima batch file dumamel.mac

The maxima solution is shown in Figure 2:

Figure 2. Maxima solution for the undamped SDOF system using Duhamel’s Integral
The Natural Frequencies of a Continuous Tapered Beam by Raleigh-Ritz Method

Figure3. Continuous tapered beam

The young’s modulus for the beam is represented by E, the moment of inertia and mass
per unit length are given by:

3
2 b 2bx
I ( x)    x 3 And m( x)  
3 l  L
Where ρ is the mass density of the material of the beam.

The stiffness and mass matrix for the beam are:

 k k12   m m12 
 K  11  and  m    11
m22 
 k 21 k 22   m21
Where

d 2i ( x) d  j ( x )
2
L
kij   EI ( x ) i,j=1,2 and
0 dx 2 dx 2
L
mij   m( x )i j dx i,j=1,2
0

The mode shape functions are given by:

2 2
 x  x  x
1   1   And 2    1  
 L  L  L

If only one mode shape function is used, the natural frequency of the beam is given by:

k11
11 
m11

If both of the mode shape functions are used the following eigen-value problem is
formed:
[[ K ]   2 [ M ]]{a}  0

That allows the solution for the first two frequencies of the tapered beam shown in figure
3.

The Maxima batch file that provides solution to the above problem is shown below:

kill(all);
phi1:(1-x/L)^2;
phi2:(x/L)*(1-x/L)^2;
I:(2/3)*(b/L)^3*x^3;
mass:rho*2*b*x/L;
dphi1:diff(phi1,x,2);
k11:integrate((dphi1)^2*E*I,x,0,L);
m11:integrate(mass*phi1^2,x,0,L);
omega[11]=sqrt(k11/m11);
dphi2:diff(phi2,x,2);
k12:integrate(E*I*dphi1*dphi2,x,0,L);
k22:integrate(E*I*dphi2*dphi2,x,0,L);
m12:integrate(mass*phi1*phi2,x,0,L);
m22:integrate(mass*phi2^2,x,0,L);
K:matrix([k11,k12],[k12,k22]);
M:matrix([m11,m12],[m12,m22]);
a:K - zeta^2*M;
b:determinant(a);
float(solve(b=0,zeta));

Table 2. The Maxima batch file frequency.mac

The Maxima solution for the frequencies are shown in figure 4

Figure 4. The Maxima solution for the frequencies of a tapered beam

Free Vibration of a SDOF Damped System

Figure 5. Idealized damped SDOF system

The governing differential equation of motion for the structural system shown in figure 3
is:

d 2 x (t ) dx(t )
2
 2   2 x(t )  0
dt dt

c k
Where   and  
2m m

The k represents the stiffness of the spring; m represents the attached mass,  represents
the natural frequency of the system and ς represents the damping ratio. The x(t) is the
displacement response of the SDOF system.

The initial conditions are x0 = 1 and v0 = 0

The Maxima batch file for the problem

assume(omega>0);
'diff(x,t,2) + 2*zeta*omega*'diff(x,t) +omega^2*x = 0;
ode2(%,x,t);
ic2(%,t=0,x=x0,diff(x,t)=v0);
y:ev(rhs(%),zeta=2.0,x0=1,v0=0,omega=1);
plot2d([y],[t,0,25]);

Table3.The maxima batch file dampedfreevibration.mac

Case I Overdamped system ( ς = 2.0 )

The Maxima solution for non-zero initial displacement and zero initial velocity is shown
in figure 6.
Figure 6. The displacement response of an overdamped SDOF system
CaseII Critically damped system ( ς = 1.0 )

The Maxima solution is shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7. The displacement response of a critically damped SDOF system

Case III Underdamped system (ς = 0.1 )

The displacement response for the under damped SDOF system is shown in Figure 8

Figure 8. The displacement response of an under damped SDOF system

Forced Vibration of a Damped SDOF System Subjected to Sinusoidal Excitation

Figure 9. The damped SDOF system under sinusoidal loading

The governing differential equation of motion is:

d 2 x (t ) dx(t )
m 2
c  kx (t )  F0 sin( pt )
dt dt

Where m is the mass, c is the damping coefficient and k is the stiffness of the system
shown in Figure 9.

The Maxima batch file is shown below:

assume((4*k*m -c^2) >0);

m*'diff(x,t,2) + c*'diff(x,t)+k*x = F0*sin(p*t);
ode2(%,x,t);
ic2(%,t=0,x=0,diff(x,t)=0);
y:ev(rhs(%),k=1,m=1,c=.1,F0=1,p=2);
plot2d([y],[t,0,25]);

Table 4. The Maxima batch file dampedforcedvibration.mac

The Maxima solution to the problem is shown below:

Figure 10. The Maxima solution for displacement response for an under damped SDOF
system subjected to sinusoidal excitation

Discussion of Results

The cells D8 and D10 in Figure 2 show the closed form displacement response of the
SDOF shown in Figure 1. The cells D8 and D18 in Figure 4 show the natural frequencies
of a tapered beam in symbolic form. The cell D75 in Figure 6 shows the closed form free
vibration response of an over damped SDOF system. The response is evaluated for the
damping ratio value of ς=2.0, initial displacement value of x0=1, initial velocity value of
v0=0, and a natural frequency value of ω=1. The resulting displacement response is
shown in cell D76 and a plot of this displacement response is shown on the top right
corner of the same figure. The cell D107 in Figure 7 shows the closed form free
vibration response of a critically damped SDOF system. The response is evaluated for a
damping ratio value of ς=1.0, initial displacement value of x0=1, initial velocity value of
v0=0, and the natural frequency value ω=1. The resulting displacement response is listed
in cell D108 and a plot of the response is shown on the top right corner of the same
figure. The cell D121 shown in Figure 8 lists the closed form free vibration response of
an under damped SDOF system. The response is evaluated for the damping ratio value of
ς=0.1, initial displacement value of x0=1, initial velocity value of v0=0, and the natural
frequency value of ω=1. The resulting response is shown in cell D122 and a plot of the
response is shown on the top right corner of the same figure. Finally, the cell D47 in
Figure 10 shows the closed form forced vibration response of an under damped SDOF
system subjected to a sinusoidal loading with zero initial displacement and velocity. The
response is evaluated for a stiffness value of k=1.0, a mass value of m=1, the damping
coefficient value of c=0.1, a force value of F0=1, and a forcing frequency value of p=2.
The resulting response is listed in cell D48 and a plot of the response is shown in the
same figure.

Conclusions

The solution of four representative vibration analysis problems shows that MAXIMA
program is capable of handling the solution to these types of problems. It can produce
results in symbolic algebraic form as well as evaluate them numerically. The procedure
discussed in here allows the solution of the problems that involve higher mathematics.
They can easily be solved with a few appropriate MAXIMA commands that would
require a larger effort if the solutions were done manually. This approach offers the
opportunity to carry out a parametric study of the vibration problems providing an in
depth knowledge of the subject matter to the student with reduced efforts on their part.
The use of MAXIMA as a learning support software also provides more efficient way for
the instructors to tailor their lecture material for better presentation of the subject
material.

The MAXIMA is a free program and it is distributed on the INTERNET under GPL
license. Therefore, it is available to everyone without the licensing fee requirement of the
equivalent commercial software. The adoption of MAXIMA software and its cost free
nature presents a way for the instructors at the economically challenged institutions to
offer close to similar teaching and learning experience to their students that is possible at
other institutions of higher learning. The choice of MAXIMA program as an algebraic
and numerical compute engine to teach vibration analysis will enable the lecturers,
students and the engineers to work in an efficient computing environment that allows a
reduction in the cost of computing along with the full fledged capabilities to perform
structural dynamics simulation studies.
Reference

1. Paz, M, “Structural Dynamics”. Van Nostrand Rheinhold, New York, 1980

2. Wester, M. The review of Computer Algebra System
http://www.math.unm.edu/~wester/cas_review.html
3. Maxima Website http://maxima.sourceforge.net/
4. GNU General Public License http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
5. MXIMA reference Manual http://maxima.sourceforge.net/docs.shtml

Biographical Sketch

Alam, Javed

Department of Civil /Environmental and Chemical Engineering,

Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH 44555, USA
e-mail: jalam@cc.ysu.edu
www: http://www.eng.ysu.edu/~jalam

Javed Alam is a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at

Youngstown State University. He obtained his B.S. in Civil Engineering from
Indian Institute of Technolgy at Kanpur, India and received his M.S. in Structural
Engineering from Asian Institute of Technology at Bangkok, Thailand. He
pursued further studies at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio to
obtain a Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering. His research interests are in the area
of Structural Mechanics, Application of the Artificial Intelligence in solving
Engineering problems and Computer Applications in teaching and learning with
an emphasis on e-learning.