Department of Mechanical Engineering

Faculty of Engineering, University of Moratuwa

B.Sc. Engineering Semester 1 - 2010
ME1032 Mechanics (DYNAMICS) Handout No. 2

Mechanical Vibrations of Single-degree-of-freedom Systems

A mechanical vibration is the motion of a particle or a body, which oscillates about a position of equilibrium. A
mechanical system is said to be vibrating when its component parts are undergoing periodic (that is cyclically
repeated) oscillations about a central configuration (usually the static equilibrium position). It can be shown that any
system, by virtue of its inherent mass and elasticity, can be caused to vibrate by externally applied forces. The duration
and severity of the vibration will depend on the relation between the external forces and the mechanics of the system.
Although vibration can sometimes be used to advantage as in cleaning, compacting or mixing machines, sieves,
feeders (hoppers), transporters, crushers, some manufacturing processes, and vibration measuring/recording
instruments (seismic instruments) etc. its presence is generally undesirable for three main reasons. Structural
damage of a fatigue nature may be caused by the cyclical fluctuation of loading; physical discomfort may be
experienced by personnel associated with the system, for example passengers in a vehicle; noise, itself a vibration of
air molecules, may be generated by a mechanical vibration. It should therefore be eliminated or reduced as much as
possible by appropriate design. The analysis of vibrations has become increasingly important in recent years owing to
the current trend toward higher-speed machines and lighter structures.
Types of vibrations
A mechanical vibration generally, results when a system is displaced from a position of stable equilibrium. The system
tends to return to this position under the action of restoring forces (either elastic forces, as in the case of a mass
attached to a spring, or gravitational forces, as in the case of a pendulum).
Free vibration occurs when the motion is maintained by gravitational or elastic restoring forces, such as the swinging
motion of a pendulum or the vibration of an elastic rod.
Forced vibration is caused by an external periodic or intermittent force applied to the system.
Both of these types of vibration may be either damped or undamped.
Undamped vibrations can continue infinitely because frictional effects are neglected in the analysis. Since in reality
both internal and external frictional forces are present, the motion of all vibrating bodies is actually damped.
Degrees of Freedom
The number of independent coordinates required to specify completely the position of the system at any instant. Thus,
single-degree-of-freedom systems can vibrate in only one mode.
Period: The time interval required to complete a full cycle of motion. Frequency: The number of cycles per unit time.
Amplitude: The maximum displacement of the system from its position of equilibrium.

Mathematical Modeling

Undamped Free Vibrations

Spring-Mass system (linear system )
J2

m m J1
m x
x kx
k
Free-body diagram mg Torsional system

Angular system
x- displacement of the mass from the static equilibrium position of the mass m.
k-stiffness of the spring.
Then, the restoring force = kx
Equation of motion of the system; mx kx 0 => x 2 x ,
The motion is simple harmonic.
 k
; The natural frequency of undamped oscillations of the system, measured in rad/s, also known as the circular
m
frequency. The frequency, f , in cycles/s or in Hz; f
2
Solution; x(t) = (Acost + Bsint) = acos(t - ) ; a = amplitude, = phase shift

Damped Free Vibrations

Damping forces have been defined as those that will result in a dissipation of energy from a vibrating system. They
exist in many forms, for example hysteresis due to non-linear strains within the elastic members, Coulomb damping
arising at any rubbing surfaces, air resistance, electromagnetic forces, and viscous fluid forces. Because of ease of
handling the mathematics it is usual to reduce all damping to an equivalent viscous force (i.e. proportional to the
velocity at any instant) which will produce the same energy loss per cycle.
Damping may be inherent in the system (often ata very low level as in structural damping at joints, or in bearing
losses) or may be added where essential to the functioning (as the vehicle shock-absorber or in instrument damping).
Figure below represnts a spring-mass system with damping, where c if the damping coefficient or damping constant.
Dampers, (or dashpots, or shock-absorbers) exert resisting forces
m m which are proportional to the relative velocity. Fc cx
Equation of motion of the system m x cx kx 0
m
x
k c
x kx cx => x 2 x 2 x 0 where
c
Free-body diagram = the damping ratio of the system.
2 m
Solution;
Substituting x= Aet ; 2 2 2 0

Roots of ; 1 , 2 2 1

Case(i) : >1 (Over-damped)

Roots of ; are two distinct real negative roots. Solution x(t) sum of two exponentially vanishing terms, resulting in
non-oscillatory ( aperiodic ) response. The system will return slowly to its equilibrium position when displaced
without giving vibrations.

Case(ii) : =1 (Critically damped)

Roots of ; are two equal real negative roots. Solution x(t) similar to the over-damped situation, the system returns
back to the equilibrium level within the shortest possible time. This is the minimum value of the damping ration(=1) to
have a non-oscillatory( aperiodic ) response.

x( t )

x o 0
xo ( t )
x o 0

t
x o 0

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Case(iii) : <1 (Under-damped)
Roots of ; are two distinct complex roots resulting in an oscillatory response, with an exponentially decaying
amplitude.
Solution x(t)= a cos (dt ) where a is the amplitude, a Ae t , and, the natural frequency of damped

oscillations ; d 1 2

Problems

1. A mass is suspended from a spring system as shown in figure Q1. Determine the natural frequency of the
system if k1 = k2 = 4000 N/m, k3 = 7000 N/m and m = 50 kg.

k1
k1 k2
k2
m
k3

x m
k3
k4 k5

Figure Q1 Figure Q2

2. Find the mass m the system shown in figure Q2 such that its natural frequency is 5Hz when k1 = 1200 N/m, k2
= 1000 N/m, k3 = 1500 N/m, k4 = k5 = 300 N/m.

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3. A belt is placed over a pulley of mass 12 kg and radius of gyration 100 mm as shown in Figure Q3. It is
attached to a mass of 4 kg at one end and to a spring of constant k = 500 N/m at the other end. If the mass is
moved 75 mm down from its equilibrium position and released, determine;

(a) the natural frequency and period of vibration

(b) the maximum velocity of the cylinder during oscillations.

Assume friction is sufficient to prevent the belt from slipping on the pulley.

150 mm

A
m

B C x
4kg k c

Figure Q4
Figure Q3

4. A mass weighing 45 N is supported by a spring and a damper as shown in figure Q4. The time for 20
complete oscillations is found to be 8 s and the ratio of first downward displacement to the sixth is found to
be 2.25. Find the stiffness of the spring in kN/m and damping coefficient in Ns/m

5. A mass of 10 kg is supported on springs which deflects 20 mm under the weight of the mass. The vibrations of
the mass are constrained to be linear and vertical and are damped by a dashpot which reduces the amplitude to
one-quarter of its initial value in two complete oscillations. Find;
a. the magnitude of the damping force at unit speed
b. the periodic time of damped vibration

6. A machine of mass 100 kg is mounted on springs and is fitted with a dashpot (shock absorber) to dampen out
vibrations. There are three springs each of stiffness 15 N/mm and it is observed that the amplitude (measured in
the same sense of direction from the equilibrium level) of free vibration diminishes from 24.6 mm to 4.1 mm in
two complete oscillations. Determine (a) the damping ratio of the system, (b) the damping constant of the
dashpot, (c) the natural frequency of damped vibration, and (d) the required stiffness of a spring for non-
oscillatory response with the minimum damping ratio if the number of springs, damping constant and the mass
of the machine were unchanged.
(Answer: 0.1412; 600Ns/m; 3.34Hz; 300N/m)

7. A machine of mass 150 kg is supported on layers of rubber and felt. The rubber layer and the felt layer have
spring properties with stiffnesses of 15 N/mm and 20 N/mm respectively. The rubber layer has an effective
viscous damping constant of 600 Ns/m. It is observed that the amplitude of free vibration of the machine
diminishes from 19.2 mm to 3.2 mm in two complete oscillations.
Determine (a) the damping ratio of the system, (b) the effective damping constant of the felt layer, and
(c) the natural frequency of damped vibrations.

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