Errors in the book UFoun dations for Machines: Analysis and Design ", by

S.Prakash and V.Puri, John Wiley & Sons Inc., 1988.

This JihorL<!oc_UIIlentdescribes several errors uncovered in the above book. 3a Me s

agrees with me that these are genuine errors in the book, not just
comprehension failures on my part, and has also added some of his own. I have sought to

Puri's book is cited in some of 0 U"

resolve these issues, and to publicize the results ofthe "investigation", because Prakash &
reference material as the appropriate source for
information on coupled vibrations in foundations for reciprocating machines.

The errors are:

Equation 6.57b contains one error and should be

Px L (J)nx ({J)2nx + 4J=2{J)2)1I2
'='x
= Mm ~({J)2)

Equation 6.54b contains a trivial error, in that an opening round bracket is required
immediately to the right of the opening square bracket.

It might help to state my view of the status of the other equations in the range 6.51a
through 6.57b. Please note that these are my views, not those of James.
Confirmed as correct: 6.51a, 6,51b, 6.53 (trivial), 6.54a, 6.54b (after applying the
above trivial correction).
Unconfirmed: 6.52, 6.55b, 6.56, 6.57a.

It might further help to include the following clarifications.

The term OJn is the natural frequency for rocking about the base, not about the centre
of gravity.
Prakask & Puri say (immediately after equation 6.57b) that the values of A ... resulting
from an applied moment and the values resulting from an applied force are additive,
but I believe that statement is simplistic to the point of being misleading. The "A"
values are not strictly scalars but are actually the magnitudes of phasors, so they cannot
be added arithmetically. To "add" them correctly, one needs information on their
relative phase angles, and this is not provided. To add them arithmetically leads to a
conservative result, so this issue is unlikely to result in a disaster.

I hope this is of some use to some person some where.

Rob Niall

28 March 2002

N: IDA TA IWORDIErrors_in_Coupling.doc
28 March 2002