Element Law: Viscous

Damping
The force required
to pull the
dashpot is
proportional to its
rate of change of
length

Dampers

Dashpot/damper:
fB

dL
fB = B
dt

Element Law: Viscous Friction

Suppose v1>v2
f B = B (v1 v2 )

v1
f B = B (v1 v2 )

B
v2

friction always opposes motion!

Suppose v1>v2

fB > 0

v1
fB

fB
v2

so, the upper mass is trying to move to

the right faster than the lower mass, but
the viscous friction is acting to slow it
down and to accelerate the lower mass.

What if v1<v2?
f B = B (v1 v2 )
(v1 < v2 ) ( f B < 0)

Stretch in a Damper
v1

fB

v1

fB

v2

v2
so, the lower mass is trying to move to
the right faster than the upper mass, but the
viscous friction is acting to slow it down and
to accelerate the upper mass.
Confused yet?

Bonus!
v1

v1

fB

v2

d
(" stretch") in damper is v1-v2
dt

v1

f B = B (v1 v2 )

v1

fB

v2

v2

d
(" stretch") in damper is v2-v1
dt

f B = B (v2 v1 )

Example Problem #1
fB

v2

v1
x

v2

NOW WHAT?!
Same procedure:
d
(" stretch") = v1+v2 f B = B (v1 + v2 )
dt
DOES THIS MAKE SENSE?

vi(t)

Conveyor Belt
Assume x measured from unstretched spring position.
(i.e. x = 0 when the spring is unstretched)

Ex Problem #1 solution

Ex Problem #1 solution

x, v
M

fK

fK

Element Laws:

M v&

fB

vi(t)

f B = B (vi v )
General EOM:

f : M v& + f K f B = 0

d
("stretch") = (vi v )
dt

A positive x stretches the spring,

and a positive fK stretches the
spring, so use a + sign for Kx.

fK = K x

f B = B (vi v )

EOM:

f : M v& + f K f B = 0

f : M v& + B v + K x B vi = 0

System Modeling Procedure

Revised System Modeling

Procedure

1. Assign positive directions to mass movements.

2. Use DAlembert Principle to assign inertial force to

1. Assign positive directions to mass movements.

2. Use DAlembert Principle to assign inertial force to

mass center of gravity (c.g.).

3. Draw freefree-body diagrams of all spring elements

(assign +f
+fKi to spring forces).

4. Sum element forces at mass c.g.s to get basic

EOM.

5. Determine stretch in all spring elements in terms of

coordinates.

6. Determine spring forces based on

mass center of gravity (c.g.).

3. Draw freefree-body diagrams of all spring elements and

dampers (assign +fKi to spring forces and +fBi to
damper forces).
4. Sum forces at mass c.g.s set equal to zero.
5. Evaluate spring forces in terms of displacements and
damper forces in terms of velocities by element laws.
6. Express EOM in terms of basic parameters.
parameters.

force=stiffness
force=stiffnessstretch.
stretch.

7. Insert spring force expressions into basic EOM to

obtain final EOM.