Free Vibration Response of SDOF Systems Response: Free or forced In this chapter: Free response, i.e.

no external forces are applied.

c
m

m + cx + kx = 0 x + 2 n x + n 2 x = 0 x k n = natural frequency m c = damping ratio 2 km

We know from theory of DE that x(t ) = Ce st

2 Characteristic equation: s 2 + 2 n s + n = 0

3 cases: 1. >1 (overdamped) two real solutions 2. =1 (critically damped) double real solution 3. <1 (underdamped) two complex solutions (most practical systems)

Case 1: Overdamped ( 1)
x(t ) = c1e
( + 2 1) n t

+ c2 e

( 2 1) n t

Slope = x(0) here

x(t)

x(0)

=5
t
c1 = c2 = x(0) + ( + 2 1 ) n x (0) 2 n 2 1 x(0) + ( +
2

= 1.1

1 ) n x ( 0)

2 n 2 1

Observations: Free vibration response is an exponentially decaying function. The higher the damping factor the slower the decay is. Case 2: Critically damped ( =1)

x(t ) = c1e nt + c2 te nt

c1 = x (0),

c 2 = n x (0) + x ( 0)

Slope = x(0) here

x(t)

x(0)

Observations: Free vibration response is an exponentially decaying function, like the response of overdamped systems. The decay is the smaller than that of overdamped systems.

Case 3: Underdamped systems ( <1) Consider special case where there is no damping (i.e. system is undamped) first (i.e. =0): k
m m + kx = 0 x
2 + n x = 0 x

x(t ) = x(0) cos( n t ) +

x (0) sin( n t ) = A cos( n t ) n

where:
n =
k , m A = [ x ( 0) 2 + {

Example of response of undamped system

x ( 0) 2 1 / 2 x (0) } ] , = tan -1 ( ) n n x (0 )

.
1 0.75 0.5 0.25 x ( t) 0 0.25 0.5 0.75 1 0 3.14 6.28 t 9.42 12.56

T=

2 n

.
4 3 2 x ( t) xd ( t) xdd ( t) 1 0 1

2 Displacement, velocity and acceleration 3 4 0 3.14 6.28 t 9.42 12.56

6

acceleration
2 n A

velocity

n A
displacement

Observations: Response is a harmonic wave.

The angular frequency is n =

k m

rad/sec. This frequency depends only on the system- not on the initial conditions. The higher the spring rate, the higher the frequency of oscillation is. The lower the mass, the higher the frequency of oscillation is.

Number of cycles per second: f = (Hz).

n 2

Velocity is also a harmonic wave. Leads the displacement by a quarter period or 90 degrees. Acceleration is also a harmonic wave. Leads the displacement by a half period or 180 degrees.

Harmonic motion: three representations 1. x(t ) = c1e j nt + c2 e jnt 2. x(t ) = A1 cos( n t ) + A2 sin( n t )
x(t ) = A cos( n t )

3.

1 2 where A = ( A 2 + A2 ) 2 1

A and = tan -1 ( 2 ) A1

Underdamped system (<1):

9

x(t ) = e nt [ A1 cos( d t ) + A2 sin( d t )] where A1 = x (0) x(0) x (0) A2 = + 2 d 1

Therefore:
x(t ) = e n t A cos( d t )
1 2 2 A = ( A1 + A2 ) 2

A = tan 1 ( 2 ) A1

d = damped natural frequency = n 1 2

Example of underdamped system response

10

Ae

n t

d = 6.25 = 0.1 n= 6.28

x( t )

Td =
0.731 1 0 0 1

2 d
2 t 3 3

Observations: Underdamped system:

Free vibration response is an oscillating function. The amplitude decays with time.

The higher the damping ratio, the faster the decay is.

The frequency of oscillation is d = n 1 2 rad/sec, which is smaller

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than the undamped natural frequency n . But for small values of the damping ratio (say 0.1) the two frequencies are practically equal. Estimating damping from records of free vibration response
=
4 2 + 2

where

= logarithmic decrement=

ln[

x (t ) ] x(t + Td )

If measurements are separated by n periods:

1 x (t ) ln[ = n x(t + nT ) ] d

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