Journal of Sound and Vibration (1975) 42(2), 251-260

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A. TONDL
National Research Institute for Machine Design, Echovice, Czechoslovakia

(Received 13 January

1975, and in revisedform 3 May 1975)

An analysis is presented of two types of self-excited, two-degree-of-freedom systems. The basic subsystem, in each, is governed by a Van der Pol differential equation. This subsystem is considered attached to a vibration absorber or mounted on a resilient foundation. An examination of the stability of the equilibrium position of the entire system enables one to establish optimal design parameters for either type. The procedure devised for the stability analysis makes it possible to ascertain separately the stability with respect to one or the other natural frequency of the system.

1. INTRODUCTION Self-excited vibrations, as occurring in many systems and structures, frequently can endanger the safety of operation. This applies in full to a large group of equipment, such as electrical transmission lines, cable railways, slender masts, suspension bridges, etc., in which selfexcited vibrations are induced by the effect of air flowing past the systems. The ever growing interest in self-excited vibrations and their damping has been directed lately towards raising the action of positive damping forces in order to reduce the amplitudes of vibration or quench them completely. Diverse devices, e.g., tuned vibration absorbers, shock absorbers, etc., are used to that end. The question arising in connection with their use is how to obtain optimal arrangement and tuning of the resulting system. Since in most cases the frequency of self-excited vibrations is close to the lowest natural frequency of the system, one can simulate such systems by a one-degree-of-freedom model. The simplest model is that described by the Van der Pol equation which is an idealized expression of a whole class of systems with so-called soft self-excitation. Such systems are characterized by the facts that the equilibrium position is unstable, because of the dominance of a negative coefficient of linear damping, and that a steady state amplitude of vibration is achieved by the action of non-linear positive damping. In his paper [l] Mansour studied the effectiveness of an additional vibration absorber attached to a basic self-excited one-mass system described by the Van der Pol differential equation. This basic system simulated a span of electrical transmission lines. The author arrived at a very interesting conclusion : the coefficient of positive damping of a tuned vibration absorber has a certain optimal value at which the damping ofthe absorber is most effective : i.e., raising the damping coefficient above this optimal value results in unfavourable effects. It was shown that the sizes of the coefficients of positive and negative damping affect the region of stability of the equilibrium position. This dependence is so strongly non-linear that even two values of the positive damping coefficient may correspond to a given value of t Dedicatedto my dear friend ProfessorDr Ing. Heinz Peeken on the occasion of his 50th birthday.
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A. TONDL

the negative damping coefficient. Mansour obtained these results on the basis of an analysis of the roots of the characteristic equation of linearized differential equations using the Routh-Hurwitz criterion. Mansour paper supplies the motive for several questions. s What is the range of validity of this anomaly ? Does there exist another arrangement with additional damping which would enable this damping to be exploited to better advantage by being made as large as required? Is it possible-in a comparatively easy manner-to determine not only the stability of the equilibrium position but also the natural frequency of the system with respect to which the equilibrium position is unstable? Our analysis will attempt to provide answers to these questions.
2. EQUATIONS OF MOTION

Consider first the system with a vibration absorber. This is modelled by a two-mass system as shown in Figure 1. The minus sign in the scheme of the basic self-excited subsystem denotes negative viscous damping producing self-excitation. The plus sign in the scheme of the vibration absorber subsystem denotes positive damping. The basic subsystem is characterized by a mass m2 (substituting for the mass of a conductor, cable, etc.) and a spring stiffness c2. The damping force associated with the basic subsystem is given by -(a - bxz)_&, where x2 is the deflection of mass m,,and where a > 0 and b > 0. The tuned vibration absorber is characterized by a mass m, and a spring stiffness cl. The damping associated with the vibration absorber is a function O( Ix1 - x2], f, - a,) which can take one of the following forms : (a) linear viscous damping :
@(Ix, - x21, f, - i,) = h(k, - f,); 0)

(b) material damping : (lb) here x1 is the deflection of mass nz,, and dots indicate differentiation with respect to time, t. The second relation applies to cases where the damping is mainly given by deformation of the material of the spring with stiffness c1 (e.g., when a rubber element is used).
r--------____---_--__
1

O( Ix1 - x2 1,fI - a,) = kc, Ix1 - x2 1sgn (a, - &);

I
Vibration obsorber subsystem

1
I I I

-------_--

J I

m2

I I

Bow self-excited subsystem

Figure 1. System with vibration absorber.

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The system then is described by the following differential equations: m, R, + CI(X, - X2)+ @(Ix, - x1], .k, - &) = 0,
m2 & - c,(X1 - X2) - O( (X1 - X2 /, f, - i,) + C2X2 - (a - bX:) i2 =

0.

(2)

On introducing the notations cllml = 6% (hlml)lwl = JG and using the transformation

w,t==t

c2/m2 =

mi,

mllm2= M

w,loo = Qt
(3) (4)

@lm2)loo A =

Wm2)ho = 6

one obtains the following equations : (a) for linear viscous damping (denoted as system Ia) : x; + Q2(xi - x2) + KQ(x; - x;) = 0, X;+X, - M[Q (x, -xx,)+
KQ(x; -xi)]-(Is6x:)x; =

0;

(5)

(b) for material damping (denoted as system Ib) : x; + Q - x2> + kQ2]x1 - x2] sgn (xi - xi) = 0, (x, x; + x2 - M[Q (x, - xJ + kQ2 Ix1 - x2 I sgn (xi - x;)] - (j? - Sx;)
X; =

0,

(6j

where primes indicate differentiation with respect to z. As to the tuning of the vibration absorber, it is comparatively easy to achieve any value of the tuning coefficient Q by varying the stiffness cl. A small mass ratio of M is quite common in practice, and that is just the cause of the anomaly observed by Mansour, as will become apparent from the subsequent discussion. Some notes on the anomaly may also be found in Appendix II of reference [2]. On the strength of the previous observations, an investigation was conducted to find another scheme which would allow a greater freedom in tuning without imposing restrictions on the magnitude of the added damping. The possibility of attaching the basic system to a sprung and damped foundation was investigated. The system is idealized by the schematics shown in Figure 2. This arrangement can be implemented in the case of electrical transmission
lines, where the insulators carrying the conductors can be used as a resiliently mounted mass.

Resblient

mountmg

Figure 2. System mounted on sprung foundation mass.

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In some instances (e.g., cable railways) attached vibration absorbers cannot be employed; resilient mounting then provides a further means of suppressing self-excited vibrations [3]. The equations of motion of such a scheme can be derived and arranged in a way similar to that for the case of the vibration absorber (by using the transformation o1 t = 2). These equations are as follows : (a) for linear viscous damping (system IIa) :
X;+X,-x2-(/3-6x:)x;=o, X;-M(X,-X,)+q'X,+ KQX;=O;

(74

(b) for linear material damping (system IIb) :

x;+x~-x~-(~-6x:)x;=o, xg - M(x, - x2) + q2[x2 + k Ix2 1sgn (xi)] = 0

(7b) K = (hlm2)l~0.

where here M = mllm2, B = (~/~l)l% 6 = (blml)l~l, 4 = WJ/%

3. STABILITY ANALYSIS The previous two systems belong to a class in which self-excited vibrations occur if and only if the equilibrium position is unstable. The instability can be ascertained by analyzing the roots of the characteristic equation of the linearized differential equations of motion. The Routh-Hurwitz criterion enables one to determine the stability or instability of the equilibrium position but does not provide information regarding stability in respect to one or both natural frequencies. Originally, it was intended to solve this problem with the help of an analogue computer working in fast repetition. The technique, however, yielded no other results than those obtained by the use of the Routh-Hurwitz criterion [4]. The approximate method described in reference [5], in which the vibration is approximated by normal modes of the linearized system, was tried and failed to yield reliable results for small values of M. In this section a procedure is developed to enable one to determine exactly the stability of the equilibrium position with respect to either of the natural frequencies. The two types are examined separately. (a) System with vibration absorber Consider the case of linear viscous damping. The procedure starts by linearizing equation (5) : i.e., by imposing the condition 6 = 0. Upon introducing the new co-ordinates Yl=xlX2,Y2 =x2, the model can be simplified to y; + y; + Q2y1 + xQy; = 0,
y; +
~2 WQYI + KQY;) BY; = 0.

(8)

(9) For a given set of values of (M, Q), it is required to find the pairs (K,j?)which make equations (9) satisfied by the particular solution (s= 1,2), (10) where s2 is one of the natural frequencies of the system, and hence a real number. Substituting equation (10) into equations (9), one obtains the characteristic equation a4 - (1 + Q2 KQ~I?) !i12 +

y, = Y, exp (i!2z>

Q2

A4Q2 Q2 -

i[(KQ - fl) @ -

(KQ

BQ )

Sz + KMQS~~]

s 0.

For real 52, the previous relation yields the following two equations : 524-[l+Q (l+M)-~fiQ]fi~+Q~=O, [KQ(~+M)-B]G?~-KQ+~Q~=O. 611) (12)

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On introducing

the new auxiliary

parameter
K= ri/?

03) frequencies CI, and sZLas functions of K: (14) (15)

equation

(11) readily yields the values of the natural

(O ),,,

(1 = +[I + Q2(l + M) - KQJ T {&[I + Q + M) - KQ] - Q}. equation (12) by K and rearranging,
)/Q[C! (l K = {K(s22 - Q

After multiplying

one obtains

-I-M) - 1]}2.

The strategy to define the stability zones is as follows. (i) For given (M, Q) the corresponding frequencies are determined from equation ( 14) for particular values of K. (ii) The values of .0 are substituted into equation (15) to obtain the corresponding values Of K. (iii) /I is obtained from equation (13). The pairs of values [K(K), b(K)], when plottecl in the (K, j?) plane, form a boundary dividing the plane into two regions. The region closer to the K-axis contains values of [K(K), P(K )] for which the equilibrium position is stable with respect to the lower (or higher) value of 0. The other side of the curve represents the unstable regime. This procedure is meaningful only if real roots are obtained for L The curve which forms a continuation . of the boundary for small M and comparatively large K is discussed in the Appendix. In the case of material damping, equations (11) and (12) change to L24-[l+(1+M)Q2]S2L+j?kQ2R+Q2=0, flfi3 - kQ (1 + M) Q2 -- fiQ2L + kQ2 = 0. By introducing the auxiliary parameter
K*=k/l (18)

(16) (17)

one can write equation

(17) in the form k = {K* 12@12 - Q2)/Q2[(l + M) C12- 1])1 2. (19:)

The boundary of the stability of the equilibrium position with respect to the lower (higher ) natural frequency in the (k, j?) plane is calculated as in the former case. Since equation (16) is not biquadratic in 52, the calculations are somewhat lengthier. (b) System on resilient mounting Relations applicable to the resilient mounting scheme are derived in an analogous manner. The resulting equations are as follows : (i) for viscous damping : (Q2) 2 = +(l + M + q2 - qK) f [;( 1 + M + q2 - qK)2 - q2] , ,
K = [K(sZ2 - hf - q2)/q(n2 - 1)]2; (20)

(21)

(ii) for material

damping: Q4-(1
+M+q2)f22$-K*q2f2+q2=0, (22)

k = [K* 52(f12 - M - q2)/q2(G2 - 1)]2.

(23)

The curves forming the boundary of the equilibrium position stability with respect to the lower or the higher natural frequency of the system are referred to in this investigation as the boundary curves. They were calculated and directly drawn in the (K, /?)-or (k, P)-plane by using a Hewlett-Packard calculator with automatic plotter. This was done for both schemes and both kinds of damping.

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TONDL

4. RESULTS AND COMPARISONS Figures 3 to 6 show the boundary curves for the two schemes with viscous damping and different values of M. Diagram (a) in each of these figures depicts the boundaries with respect to the lower natural frequency, and diagram (b) depicts the boundaries with respect to the higher frequency. In the interest of clarity, the regions of instability with respect to the two natural frequencies of a system with a vibration absorber, viscous damping, A4 = O-1 and Q = 1 are done in hatching in Figure 7. From the examples shown in the preceding figures, one can draw the following conclusions. (a) Both systems under discussion display Mansour anomaly only at small values of M. s
0.25

0.2

0.15 B 0.1

0.05

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

I
K

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Figure 3. Boundary curves for system with vibration absorber and viscous damping (M= 0.1).
0.25

0.05 (b) 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 I

K

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Figure 4. Boundary curves for system with vibration absorber and viscous damping (M = 0.5).
0.25 I I I I 1 I I (b)

q=o.9

(ai

qzl

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.6
K

Figure 5. Boundary curves for system with resilient mounting and viscous damping (M = 0.1).

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q=o,7
0.2

0.4

0.15

/if

(b! 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.6

K

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.6

Figure 6. Boundary curves for system with resilient mounting and viscous damping (M= 1).

Region of lnstablllty wth respect to lower natural frequency Region of lnstablllty with respect to higher noturol frequency

Region

of equlllbrlum

posltlon

stabMy

Figure 7. Regions of instability for system with vibration absorber and viscous damping (A4 = 0.1, a = I).

0.6

Figure 8. Optimal tuning for system with vibration absorber: Ia-viscous

damping; Ib-material

damping.

(b) In a given interval of K, the P-K dependence changes with growing A4into an increasing
function of K, and that in turn passes into a virtually linear dependence as A4 is raised still further. Cases of this sort can be solved accurately enough with the help of the approximation by natural modes of the abbreviated system [5]. (4 Systems with a vibration absorber have boundary curves whose slope at the origin grows with decreasing Q for the stability with respect to the lower, and with increasing Q for the stability with respect to the higher, natural frequency of the system. Systems with resilient mounting differ from the former trend. For fairly large A4 the slope of the boundary curves first grows to a maximum and then diminishes with decreasing 9 for the stability with respect to the lower natural frequency. The results obtained for material damping are qualitatively entirely identical with those presented above. One may regard optimal tuning as achieved if the chosen value of Q (or q) is associated with boundary curves of maximum slopes at the origin (for low and high natural frequencies).

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Figure 9. Optimal damping.

tuning for system with resilient

mounting:

IIa-viscous

damping;

IIb-material

Evaluation of all diagrams of the boundary curves from this point of view enables one to plot the optimal values of Q (or q) as a function of the mass ratio M. Figure 8 shows the optimal Q-M dependence (viscous damping-Ia, material damping-Ib). Except for an insignificant quantitative difference, the diagrams for the system with vibration absorber are practically identical. Resilient mountings (Figure 9, viscous damping-IIa, material damping-IIb) show a more marked difference. The diagrams also differ from the former in that for growing M the value of q first falls off to a minimum and then grows larger again. The change from a decreasing to an increasing function is caused by the fact that for higher A4the boundary of equilibrium position stability is defined only by the curve corresponding to the lower natural frequency of the system. For such boundary curves the slope at the origin of the co-ordinates first grows larger and then diminishes with increasing q, the maximum slope for large M being less than the slope of the boundary curve corresponding to the higher natural frequency at the same q.

Cd

)
I

/ 0.2

I
IO

0.4

0.6

0.8

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Figure 10. A4 at optimal tuning. (a) System with vibration absorber, viscous damping; (b) system with resilient mounting, viscous damping; (c) system with vibration absorber, material damping; (d) system with resilient mounting, material damping.

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The two systems also can be compared on the basis of the diagrams shown in Figures IO(a) to (d) by plotting the boundary curves of the stability of the equilibrium position (i.e., with respect to both natural frequencies of the system identical with those which would be obtained by the application of the Routh-Hurwitz criterion) for various mass ratios M and optimal tuning. Figures IO(a) and 10(b) refer to system Ia and system IIa (viscous damping); Figures IO(c) and IO(d) depict the conditions in systems Ib and IIb (material damping). At small values of M, Mansour s anomaly, when there exists a definite optimal tuning, appears in both systems. For larger values of M one can see that the greater is the positive damping coefficient, the greater may be the value of the negative damping coefficient p. It should be borne in mind that at small mass ratios M, a slight change in the tuning coefficient Q (or q) means a significant change of the boundary curve of the equilibrium position stability and hence also a change in the damping efficiency of additional damping (cf. Figures 3 and 5). At large M this effect becomes less important. It should also be recalled that in systems with a vibration absorber, only small mass ratios M come into consideration. If this mass ratio could be made larger, systems with a vibration absorber would be more effective than those with a resilient mounting because the slope of the boundary curve of the equilibrium position stability at the origin of the co-ordinates is steeper in the former than in the latter case.
5. CONCLUSION

(a) Quenching of self-excited vibrations (of systems with so-called soft self-excitation) by means of an additional tuned vibration absorber may not always be successful. This holds true particularly for cases of intensive self-excitation (i.e., large values of the negative coefficient of linear damping, representing the self-excitation) of the basic self-excited system, and of a small ratio between the masses of the vibration absorber and the basic system. In such cases even optimal tuning is not capable of suppressing self-excited vibrations. (b) In systems with resilient mounting one can achieve a more favourable ratio between the masses of the basic and foundation subsystems. The most appropriate M lies between 0.3 and 1. To these systems the rule actually applies that the greater is the coefficient of additional damping, the more effective is the action of the damper in quenching self-excited vibrations. Although this rule applies even at M > 1, growing A4 means less steep slopes of the boundary curves and in turn, reduced effectiveness. Jn this respect the conditions are more propitious for material than for viscous damping (cf. Figures 10(a) and 1O(c)). (c) Resilient mountings with additional damping are superior to vibration absorbers so far as the quenching of self-excited vibrations is concerned. This is so especially in systems where-from practical aspects-one could use a vibration absorber with a comparatively very small mass, and where accurate tuning is not feasible because of changes in the system s parameter s occurring in the course of operation. Resilient mountings with additional damping afford a better possibility of obtaining a more favourable mass ratio at which the system is not oversensitive to accurate tuning, for the effectiveness of additional damping is affected only slightly by small changes in tuning. This poorer sensitivity is an incontestable advantage of these systems. A typical example of systems with parameters and intensity of self-excitation varying during operation, is that of electrical transmission lines under the action of ice coating and frost.
REFERENCES 1.

W. M. MANSOUR 1972 Journal ofSound and Vibration 25, 395-405. Quenching of limit cycles of a van der Pol oscillator.
No. 20, National Research Institute for Machine&sign,

2. A. TONDL Monographs and Memoranda Be chovice (in print). On the interaction

between self-excited and forced vibrations.

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3. A. TONDL and V. FIALA 1973 Czechoslovak Patent No. 165 142. Suspension of conductors and cables suppressing self-excited vibrations. 4. V. FIALA 1974 Proceedings of the AZCA Symposium on Hybrid Computation in Dynamic Systems Design, Rome, November 11-14, C3-2, 1-5. A contribution to quenching of galloping. 5. A. TONDL1970 Monographs and Memoranda No. 9, National Research Institute of Machine Design, Bgchovice. Self-excited vibrations.
APPENDIX

The calculation of the /I = B(K) dependence was carried out for the auxiliary parameter K varying gradually from zero to a value at which K attained unity and the calculation was stopped. Sometimes-at very small values of M-the calculation stopped automatically at an earlier point because Q2 (see equations (14)) was not real for the next K (Figure 11 shows the last calculated point marked with a circle). Let us denote by +K the last value of K for , which SJ2 is still real. If for +K + AK we obtain no real value of Sz then no stable particular solution corresponds to the values satisfying the equation

The inequality

/%c < K,, where the boundary Kc = [l +

value K,-, is defined by the equation

Q2<l + W1/4Q,

(24)

is a necessary condition of stability. The boundary curve j? = /?(rc) which continues from the point marked with a circle (Figure 11) will lie between two rectangular hyperbolas described by the equation /?K = K, into which first +K and then KO is substituted for K. For very small AK, the continuation of the boundary curve can in practice be replaced by the respective part of the rectangular hyperbola defined by equation (24) (Figure 11).
0.25

O-2

0.4

0.6

0.6

I I

K
Figure 11. Replacing a part of the boundary curve at very small mass ratio M.