MEC410

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DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Autumn Semester 2014-2015

Structural Vibration: Analysis and Practice 2 Hours

Instructions:

Answer any four of the six questions (questions carry 25 marks each)

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1. A structure is modelled by the three degree of freedom system shown in Figure Q1.
Note that only translational motion in a vertical direction can occur.

(a) Derive the equations of motion for the system shown in Figure Q1 and express
them in matrix form.
[9 marks]
(b) Describe how this equation of motion may be solved to find the three principal
modes of vibration of the system using an iterative procedure. DO NOT attempt
any calculations.
[6 marks]

(c) Assume now that the system in Figure Q1 has been simplified by removing the
third mass ( ). This new system has mass and stiffness matrices equal
to

2 0 40 10
, .
0 4 10 20

Calculate the natural frequencies (in Hertz) and mode shapes of this system
without using an iterative procedure. You must show your working.
[10 marks]

Figure Q1

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2. A two degree of freedom system is shown in Figure Q2 that is only able to move in a
horizontal direction. The system is acted upon by two applied forces and .

(a) Derive the equations of motion of this forced system and express them in matrix
form.
[6 marks]

(b) Solving an equation of motion where forcing is present requires solution of the
complementary function and particular integral. Describe what these terms
relate to and how the solution of each relates to the physical response of the
system.
[4 marks]

(c) Derive an expression for the amplitude of the responses for both masses (during
steady state response) assuming the following forces applied to the system:
cos
cos
[15 marks]

Figure Q2

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3. Energy methods are commonly used to establish the equations of motion of a

dynamical system.

(a) Explain what the terms non-conservative and conservative relate to in the
context of the energy of a system. State Lagranges equation for both
conservative and non-conservative systems.
[4 marks]

(b) Describe Rayleighs method for multi-degree of freedom systems. In your

answer you should outline the purpose of Rayleighs method as well as the main
steps/assumptions.
[5 marks]

Figure Q3 represents a two degree of freedom system where a cylinder of mass ,

radius , is free to roll on a fixed horizontal surface. Attached to the axis of the
cylinder is an arm of length carrying a bob of mass . Two coordinates and
are used to describe the motion of this system, as shown in Figure Q3. You may
assume that the mass of the pendulum rod can be neglected.

(c) Calculate the total kinetic, T, and potential, V, energies of the system. When
calculating the potential energy you should use the following small angle
assumption:

cos 1
2
[6 marks]

(d) Determine the equation of motion of the system in matrix form using Lagranges
equation. The equation of motion should be in terms of the two coordinates
and .
[10 marks]

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Figure Q3

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4. To avoid resonant behaviour a vibration absorber of mass has been added to a

machine part (mass ) that has a large resonant response in a vertical direction at a
particular frequency. With the added absorber the system may be represented as in
Figure Q4a.

(a) Derive an equation for the amplitude of vibration of when the vibration
absorber is attached to the original system. From this equation, identify the
necessary design criterion for the added vibration absorber that would avoid
excessive vibration when the excitation frequency is equal to the natural
frequency of the original system.
[12 marks]

(b) Resonance occurs in the original system at 750 rad/s. Given this information,
provide one example of a stiffness value for and a mass value for that
would alleviate resonance at this frequency.
[4 marks]

(c) Produce a rough sketch that compares the frequency response function for the
displacement of for the system with and without the vibration absorber.

Comment on how the selection of and would affect this sketch.

[4 marks]

(d) A Stockbridge damper is an example of a vibration absorber used to control

cable vibration for telecom wires, as shown in Figure Q4b. Briefly discuss
whether the system shown in Figure Q4a could be used to model such a
configuration.
[5 marks]

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Figure Q4a

Figure Q4b

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5. Experimental modal analysis forms a crucial part of the dynamic analysis of

structures. Figures Q5a and Q5b show the measured frequency response function
(FRF) (amplitude and phase) of a beam, at three different locations. Figure Q5c
provides a zoomed in view of each of the peaks in the | | plot in Figure Q5a.

(a) From Figure Q5a, identify the first three natural frequencies of the beam.
[3 marks]

(b) Estimates of the mode shapes of the first three modes of this beam can be
obtained from the FRFs in Figures Q5a and Q5b using the single degree of
freedom (SDOF) curve fit method. Briefly describe the main concepts of this
method.
[3 marks]

(c) Using the 3dB down method, estimate the modal damping ratios for each mode
using Figure Q5c, which provides a zoomed in view of the three peaks of | |
from Figure Q5a.
[6 marks]

(d) Using Figures Q5a and Q5b and the SDOF curve fit method, estimate the mode
shapes of the three lowest modes of the beam. You may use the following
formula:

where is the squared natural frequency of the mode, the modal

damping ratio for that mode, relates to the position of the measurement, to
the position of the excitation and denotes the th element of the
orthonormal modal vector/shape.
[13 marks]

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-3
10

-4
10
|H11| (dB)

-5
10

-6
10

-7
10
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Frequency (rad/s)

-3
10

-4
10
|H21| (dB)

-5
10

-6
10

-7
10
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Frequency (rad/s)

-3
10

-4
10
|H31| (dB)

-5
10

-6
10

-7
10
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Frequency (rad/s)

Figure Q5a

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150

100

50
Phase H11

-50

-100

-150

0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Frequency (rad/s)

150

100

50
Phase H21

-50

-100

-150

0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Frequency (rad/s)

150

100

50
Phase H31

-50

-100

-150

0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Frequency (rad/s)

Figure Q5b

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Zoomed in view of FIRST peak |H 11| (dB)

-4
10

2.05 2.1 2.15 2.2 2.25 2.3 2.35 2.4 2.45

Frequency (rad/s)

-4
Zoomed in view of SECOND peak |H 11| (dB)

10

6.15 6.2 6.25 6.3 6.35 6.4

Frequency (rad/s)
Zoomed in view of THIRD peak |H 11| (dB)

-5
10

8.9 8.95 9 9.05 9.1 9.15 9.2 9.25 9.3

Frequency (rad/s)

Figure Q5c

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6. All engineering systems exhibit nonlinear behaviour in practice to some degree.

Therefore analysis of nonlinear systems is an essential part of structural dynamics.

(a) Briefly explain how a linear system differs from a nonlinear system.
[4 marks]
(b) A test structure from the Jonas lab at the University of Sheffield is pictured in
Figure Q6. It is a bookshelf structure that when excited by the shaker (on the
right hand side of the picture) slides in a horizontal direction along uni-directional
bearings under the bottom floor. This structure is known to exhibit a nonlinear
response. Suggest what potential sources of nonlinearity are present in this
system.
[5 marks]
(c) Discuss how nonlinearity may be detected in such a system. In your answer
you should include comments on the features of a nonlinear response.
[3 marks]
(d) Whilst testing structures in the laboratory a measured response that appears
nonlinear may in fact be an artefact of the experimental set up. List three
potential sources of nonlinearity that may originate from an experimental test set
up rather than the structure itself.
[3 marks]
(e) Consider a single degree of freedom (SDOF) system with a hardening cubic
stiffness. Roughly sketch the FRF distortion for this system that you might
expect to see between a low and high level of excitation. Draw a second sketch
of the FRF distortion that youd expect to see if the system had a softening cubic
stiffness.
[6 marks]
(f) The state space formulation of a nonlinear system is as follows:

1

Determine the equilibrium positions of this system.

[4 marks]

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Figure Q6

END OF QUESTION PAPER

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