Free Vibrations concept checklist

You should be able to:

1. Understand simple harmonic motion (amplitude, period, frequency,
phase)
2. Understand (qualitatively) meaning of natural frequency and
Vibration mode of a system
3. Identify # DOF (and hence # vibration modes) for a system
4. Calculate natural frequency of a 1DOF system (linear and nonlinear)

5. Write the EOM for simple spring-mass systems by inspection

6. Understand natural frequency, damped natural frequency, and
Damping factor for a dissipative 1DOF vibrating system
7. Know formulas for nat freq, damped nat freq and damping factor for
spring-mass system in terms of k,m,c
8. Understand underdamped, critically damped, and overdamped motion
of a dissipative 1DOF vibrating system
9. Be able to determine damping factor from a measured free vibration
response
10. Be able to predict motion of a freely vibrating 1DOF system given its
initial velocity and position, and apply this to design-type problems


k
m m
k k
x
1
x
2
Vibration modes and natural frequencies
Vibration modes: special initial deflections that cause entire
system to vibrate harmonically
Natural Frequencies are the corresponding vibration frequencies
Number of DOF (and vibration modes)



If masses are particles:

Expected # vibration modes = # of masses x # of directions
masses can move independently

If masses are rigid bodies (can rotate, and have inertia)

Expected # vibration modes = # of masses x (# of directions
masses can move + # possible axes of rotation)


k
m m
k k
x
1
x
2
Calculating nat freqs the basics



EOM for small vibration of any 1DOF
undamped system has form



m
k,L
0
y
2
2
2
n
d y
y C
dt
e + =
1. Get EOM (F=ma or energy)
2. Linearize (sometimes)
3. Arrange in standard form
4. Read off nat freq.
n
e
is the natural frequency



Example: Calculate natural frequency of this
Example: Calculating natural frequency of
undamped system (nonlinear)
Example: Calculating natural frequency of
undamped system (nonlinear) (2009 Final)
EOM is


Find natural freq


Writing down EOM for spring-mass systems
s=L
0
+x
k, L
0
m
c
2
2
2
2
2
0
2 0
2
n n n
d x c dx k
m x
m dt m
dt
d x dx k c
x
dt m
km
dt
,e e e ,
= + + =
+ + = = =
F a
k
1
k
2
Commit this to memory! (or be able to derive it)


x(t) is the dynamic variable (deflection from static equilibrium)


Parallel: stiffness


1 2
k k k = +
c
2
c
1
Parallel: coefficient


1 2
c c c = +
k
1
k
2
Series: stiffness


1 2
1 1 1
k k k
= +
c
2
c
1
Parallel: coefficient


1 2
1 1 1
c c c
= +
k
1
k
2
m
Examples write down EOM for
c
2
c
1
m
2
k
k
1
m
c
If in doubt do F=ma, and
arrange in standard form
k
2
2
2
2
2
2 0
2
n n n
n
d y dy
m A By C
dt
dt
d x dx A
x B
dt
dt
,e e e ,
e
= + + =
+ + = = =
F a
Solution to EOM for damped vibrations
s=L
0
+x
k, L
0
m
c
2
2
2
2 0
2
n n n
d x dx k c
x
dt m
km
dt
,e e e , + + = = =
Initial conditions:


0 0
0
dx
x x v t
dt
= = =
0 0
0
( ) exp( ) cos sin
n
n d d
d
v x
x t t x t t
e
e e e
e
+
= +
`
)
1 < Underdamped:


Critically damped:


1 =
| | { }
0 0 0
( ) exp( )
n n
x t x v x t t e e = + +
0 0 0 0
( ) ( )
( ) exp( ) exp( ) exp( )
2 2
n d n d
n d d
d d
v x v x
x t t t t
e e e e
e e e
e e
+ + +
=
`
)
Overdamped:


1 >
Critically damped gives fastest return to equilibrium


Example: Damped vibration design problem
(2010 Homework)
Calculating natural frequency and damping
factor from a measured vibration response
Displacement
time
t
0
t
1
t
2
t
3
T
x(t
0
)
x(t
1
)
x(t
2
)
x(t
3
)
t
4
0
( ) 1
log
( )
n
x t
n x t
o
| |
=
|
\ .
Measure log decrement:


2 2
2 2
4
4
n
T
o t o
e
t o
+
= =
+
Measure period: T


Then


Example (2010 Homework)
Assume eardrum mass is 0.1 gram