Module: 14

Sub-Lecture:1
Distributed Parameter Systems or Continuous Systems
So far previous sections are dealing with either single degree of freedom or multi-degree of freedom
systems. Those systems are considered as a simple idealisation of a continuous system to a set of discrete
spring-mass or spring-mass-damper systems. The response behaviour of those systems will help to
understand certain basic phenomena of idealised discrete systems. The response parameters may be
marginally off from the actual response parameters of a continuous system. Those idealisations will help
the designers to get quick response parameters to arrive to a feasible design. However, the actual response
parameters may be evaluated once the feasible design is available with geometric parameters to proceed for
analysis of a continuous system.
In this section, a few continuous systems are considered to obtain the analytical solutions in terms of
natural frequencies and mode shapes.
Free vibration of wire or String

= density
*= A = mass per unity length

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1) String is flexible under tension . It is constant along the length.

2) The transverse force f(x,t) does not exist in this particular problem.
3) Lateral deflection w is small and change in tension and deflection w is small and change in tension
and deflection is negligible.
4) is the density and * is the mass per unit length

2w

.dx * dx 2
x
t

*
2w

dx 2 1
x
t

Since

w
x

2w * 2w
Equ.(1) becomes

x 2
t 2
2
2w
2 w
c

x 2 t 2

(2)

Where c = Velocity of propagation of axial wave

Separation of variable

w( x, t ) ( x)T (t ) (3)
d2X
d 2T
c
TX 2
dx 2
dt
2
2
c d X I d 2T

X dx 2 T dt 2
2

Substituting (3) in (2)

c 2 d 2 X I 2T

Constant w2
2
2
X dx
T t
2

or

d2X w
X 0 (4)
dx 2 c
d 2T
w2T 0 (5)
2
dt

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Solution

w
w
x B Cos x

w
w
c
c ; w( x, t ) A Sin x B Cos x (C Sin wt D Cos wt )
c
c

T C Sin wt D Cos wt
X A Sin

w x, t C sin wt D Cos wt Sin

Using, w l , t 0 Sin

w
x
c

wl
0
c

wnl
n , n 1, 2,3......
c
w
n c
nc nc n
; fn n

wn
2 2l 2l 2l
l

Mode shape

X Sin

n x
l

w x, t (Cn sin wnt Dn Cos wnt ) Sin

n 1

wn

n x
l

n c
l

Torsional vibration of Rods

Let x be measured along the length of the rod, the angle of dist in any length d x of the rod due to a torque T is

T dx
Pdx
d
I pG
AE
d
T I pG
dx
d

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Here I pG is the torsional stiffness given by the product of the polar moment of inertia I p of the cross- sectional area
and the shear modulus of elasticity G.

Net torque becomes

T
d 2
. dx I p G 2 . dx
dx
x

Equating the net torque to the product of the mass moment of entail I p dx of the element and the angular
acceleration, where is the density of the rod in mass per unit volume, the differential equation of motion becomes

I p dx.

2
2
2 G 2

I
G
dx

p
t 2
x 2
t 2 x 2

2 2
or , C

x 2 t 2
2
2

--------- to C12

C2

2u 2u
where C1

x 2 t 2

x, t x Sin wt
d 2
w2 x 0
dx 2
wx
wx
x B1Sin
B2Cos
C2
C2

2
Let C2

Clamped Free Bar

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x o ; o ______ 1
d
o _____ 2
dx
u
Similar to p o
o
x
x l; T o

Boundary Condition (1) results

o B1.0 B2 .1 B2 0
Boundary Condition (2) results

d
w
wx
B1* . Cos
dx
c2
c2

at x l
or , Cos

d
w
wl
o B1 Cos
o
dx
c2
c2
wl
o
c2

wnl
1
n
2
c2
1

n
2

n 0,1, 2,..............
n 1, 2,3,..............

Mode Shape

x B1 Sin n 1 2

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2 x

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