Free Damped Vibration Response (translation)

• Excitation is applied only once.

• Some viscous damping using a piston-cylinder dashpot is introduced.
• This damping has ability to restrict the amplitude of vibration by dissipating the energy.
• It is not a conservative system anymore. Since we have two roots we can write:

FBD
Since addition of solutions is also a solution.
(1)

The above equation is the general solution

of the free damped translational systems.
x
EOM: (Newton’s second law of motion ∑F = mẍ)

Also by putting values of s1 & s2 in (1):

Solution: x = Cest (satisfies the diff equation)
Characteristic Equation:
ms2 + cs + k = 0

Roots:
 The Critical Damping Constant and Damping Ratio
• The critical damping constant (cc) is defined as the value of the damping constant
for which the radical in the general solution becomes zero.

• For any damped system the ratio of the damping constant to the critical damping
constant is defined as the damping ratio (ζ)
Mathematical manipulation: Zeta =
NOTE: The nature of the
ζ2mωn/2m = ζωn roots and hence the behavior
Recall, of the solution of free
damped vibrational systems
s1,2 = (where ω2n = k/m) depends on the amount of
damping present in the
(roots in terms of system. It can be seen that
damping ratio) for ζ = 0 the solution reduces
So the solution can be rewritten as: to the case of free undamped
vibrations.
 Case 1) Underdamped System (ζ< 1)
• It is very important case in mechanical vibrations because it is the only case which produces
oscillatory motion of the mass with consideration of damping. Examples
Recall, • Systems with light
damping
If ζ < 1 •Pendulums
• Guitar string
(√-1 = i)

Solution can be rewritten as:

(taking e-ζωnt common)

Using Aeiθ = Acosθ + Aisinθ & collecting cos and sin terms

(merge C1 & C2)

 Initial conditions x(t = 0) = xo & ẋ(t = 0) = ẋo
NOTE:
ẋ(t) = d/dt(x(t)) = d/dt (uv)

Particular solution of free damped vibration response:

• Above equation represent free damped harmonic motion with damped frequency ωd.
• The negative exponential indicates that this type of vibration is decaying wrt time and
thus is stable.

• ωd is called the damped natural frequency of the system.

• ωd is always less than natural frequency ωn.
Graphical Representation of Free Damped Vibration
Response
Also,

{Dcos(ωnt) + Esin(ωnt)}
cos(A-B) = cosAcosB + sinAsinB

(C’1 = Xcosφ & C’2 = Xsinφ)

Calculating X and φ or Xo and φo

 Case 2) Critically Damped System (ζ = 1)
Roots in terms of damping
ratio are: Examples
• Shock absorbers
If ζ = 1 S1,2 = -ωn (Real repeated roots) • Large guns
• Mechanical Lifts
When the roots of the characteristic equation are real & repeated • Control systems
the solution is: • Speedometer
needle
and
ẋ(t) = -ωn (C1+C2t)e-ωnt + C2e-ωnt NOTE:
ẋ(t) = d/dt(x(t)) = d/dt (uv)
Initial conditions: x(t = 0) = xo & ẋ(t = 0) = ẋo
• This solution/motion is
Final sol is: C1 = xo & C2 = ẋo + xo ωn aperiodic i.e. (nonperiodic)
• The motion will diminish
to zero coz
e-ωnt 0 if t ∞
Note: • The mass comes to rest in
shortest possible time.
From the sol of underdamped case (above eq) we can consider • Due to –ve exponential
ζ 1 than ωn 0 (no oscillations for critical damping), cos ωdt 1 this motion also decays
and sin ωdt ≈ωdt (very small angle). Than C1 = C’1 & C2 = C’2 ωd. with time.
So we can write: x(t) = (C1+C2t)e-ωnt
 Case 3) Overdamped System (ζ >1)
If ζ > 1 the roots will be real and distinct Examples
• Door closers
• Systems with
heavy damping.

General solution:

NOTE:
ẋ(t) = d/dt(x(t)) & solve
Initial conditions: x(t = 0) = xo & ẋ(t = 0) = ẋo simultaneously.

&

Solution is

x(t) = +
 Graphical Display of Undamped, Underdamped,
Critically damped and Overdamped Vibrations.

• ωd < ωn
• τd > τ
 The Logarithmic Decrement
• It represents the natural logarithm of the ratio
of two consecutive amplitudes that are one
cycle apart during a free damped vibration.
• It represents the rate at which the amplitude
of a free damped vibration decreases in time.
• Due to logarithmic decrement the amount of
damping in the system can be estimated
experimentally.

For two different amplitudes that are one

cycle apart we can thus write:

We know that underdamped response can be

written as follows: From figure: t2 = t1 + τd & τd = 2π/ωd
cos(ωdt2 – φo) = cos(ωd(t1+ τd) – φo) = cos(ωdt1+ 2π – φo)
Since cos(θ) = cos(θ +2π)
cos(ωdt2 – φo) = cos(ωdt1 – φo)
 Therefore
= eζωnt1/ e-ζωnt1 . e-ζωnτd

Taking ln both sides:

δ
Finally,

ζ
• We can measure the amplitudes x1 and x2 experimentally using vibration sensors and
estimate the amount of damping present by calculating the damping ratio zeta ζ.

• When ζ = 1 the decrement is large & when ζ = 0 there is no decrement (no damping).

• Note for ζ << 1 ζ2 can be neglected and we can write δ ≈ 2πζ.

 Torsional Vibration with Damping

FBD
ct = Torsional viscous damping constant
Jo = Moment of inertia of disk abt its center.
kt = torsional stiffness of the system.

Fluid ct Since the form of the DE

in case of torsional systems
Also for torsional case: EOM: (∑T = JӪ) remains the same as in
case of translational
systems therefore all
The DE is same as in case of solutions established for
translation only x is replaced the case of translational
by θ. systems are also valid for
torsional damped
vibrational response.