Engineering Vibration

Part 1: Introduction
Prepared by: R. Tavares, RME

VIBRATION IN THE INDUSTRY

Vibration in the industry is caused by the operation of most engines and machines as a result of the linear and or
angular motion of their component parts and other linkages that either oscillate or respond to disturbances in the
presence of restoring forces.
Example:
• …the reciprocating action of a piston inside an engine cylinder;
• …the linear and angular acceleration of the crank-connecting rod linkage mechanism of an engine;
• …the pulsating action of the rocker arm mechanism of a press.

CONSEQUENCES OF VIBRATIONS

Opened and closed within a few hours because of

undesirable vibrations.

A. Machine Foundation
• The engine might move out of its’ foundation;
• Seriously damage the foundation due to the shaking forces of vibration;
• May result in the malfunction or damage of the machinery.
B. Environment
• Production of severe noise propagating and magnifying in time;
• Noise pollution due to the propagated noise by transmission to an adjacent structure or the
building itself detrimental to operators in a plant or occupants of the building.
C. Structures, i.e., bridges and buildings
• Shaking the structure itself affecting the occupants in the building or the commuters passing
through the bridge.
ELEMENTS OF MECHANICAL VIBRATION
A. Definition of Vibration
…the complex repeating motion that includes both rotation and translation in all three directions or simply
the to and fro motion of a body or its parts.

C
A

B
Rigid Support
B. Vibration Elements
1. Cycle – one complete movement of from the time the vibration particle leaves its equilibrium position to
the time when it again passes through that portion in the same direction.
2. Frequency – the speed by which the vibratory motion repeats itself completely.
• Constant vibration usually have constant frequency determined by the source and complicated
by harmonics generated by the structure.
• Transient vibration from shocks have a variable frequency depending on both the source and its
supporting system.
3. Direction – vibratory motion can occur along the vertical, longitudinal, transverse motion (equivalent to
an orthogonal coordinate system) and in three directions of rotation such as rocking, pitching, and
slewing, depending on the source and the degree of freedom.
4. Amplitude – the extent of the movement of a vibrating body on each side of the mean position. It is
transmitted through matter and decreases as it travels farther away from the origin.
5. Period or the periodic time – the time within one complete vibration occurs which is usually expressed in
minutes or seconds.
CLASSIFICATION OF VIBRATION

Vibration is classified according to the method of their production such as:

1. Free Vibration
a. Free elastic vibration
b. Free inelastic vibration
2. Forced Vibration
a. Forced elastic vibration
b. Forced inelastic vibration
c. Harmonic vibration
d. Tensional vibration

• Elastic vibration – vibrations caused by a displacement of the internal molecular arrangement of the vibrating
body, i.e., when a tuning fork is struck or when a spring is vibrated.
• Free Elastic Vibration – elastic vibrations at the natural frequency of the body resulting the distortion of an
elastic body from its equilibrium position and then released. The frequency of which depends on the size, shape,
and elasticity of the body. Free elastic vibration are always at the natural frequency of the body.
• Forced elastic vibrations – elastic vibrations resulting from the repeated action of some disturbing source or
agency. The frequency depends on the frequency of the disturbance, e.g., the vibration of a leaf spring, one end
of which is held rigidly while the other end is forced to move slowly to and fro by the connecting rod.
• Inelastic Vibration – produced by the displacement of the body as a whole from its mean position without any
appreciable displacement of its internal molecular arrangement, e.g., the swinging of a pendulum or the needle
of a magnetic compass. It is sometimes called oscillation.
• Free inelastic vibration – those inelastic vibrations, at the natural frequency of the system, resulting from the
displacement of a body as a whole from its equivalent position and then released. The amplitude of undamped
free inelastic vibrations depends upon the amount of the displacement. The frequency of undamped free
vibrations depends in general upon the moment of inertia of the vibrating body and oscillation produced by the
force tending to restore it to its equilibrium position, e.g., vibration of an unrestrained pendulum, compass
needle or swing.
• Forced Inelastic Vibration – those resulting from the repeated action of a disturbing agency or produced when
concrete foundations vibrate due to repeated forces produced by the unbalanced moving parts of a machine set
on it.
The frequency of forced inelastic vibration depends on the frequency of the applied force of the external
disturbing agency, e.g., vibration of a pendulum at any frequency other than its natural frequency by a
connection rod forcing it to move to and fro.
• Harmonic vibration – generally, is the vibration of one body at the same frequency as those of another vibrating
body. It refers to the free elastic vibration, always at the natural frequency, of a body that is vibrating at the
natural frequency of the first body.

Example:

A section of pipe of a certain length and size, held in a horizontal position and supported only at each end, may
have pronounced harmonic transverse vibrations induced on it by a vibrating machine that is located at a
distance from the pipe section. There may be no pronounce vibration of any member between the pipe section
and the machine.