IMPERIAL COLLEGE MEng EXAMINATIONS 2008 Part Ill, Mechanical Engineering for Internal Students of the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine This paper is also taken for the relevant examination for the Associateship MACHINE SYSTEM DYNAMICS Friday, 2 May 2008: 14.00-17.00 This paper contains SIX questions. Altempt question 1 and FOUR others. The numbers shown by each question are for your guidance; they indicate approximately how the examiners intend to distribute the marks for this paper. A Data and Formulze book is provided. This is a CLOSED BOOK Examination The rest of this page is intentionally blank. © 2008 Imperial College Page 1 of 7 Turn overOne of the propellers proposed for a diesel powered ship has an inertia of 8 kgm? and is driven by a six cylinder diesel engine running at 600 rev/min. The propeller is driven direct from the engine via a 3m long, 100 mm diameter solid steel shaft; there is no gearbox in the system. (a) (b) () (a) (e) @ Calculate the natural frequency of torsional oscillation of the system: (assuming that the engine inertia (including that of the flywheel attached to it) is infinite and the shaft inertia is negligible so that the shaft and propeller form a clamped, single degree of freedom system; [3%] (ii) taking the inertia of the engine and flywheel as 100 kgm? and still neglecting the shaft inertia so that the drive becomes an inertia-spring- inertia system. [5%] Comment quantitatively on the error involved in: (i) _ taking the engine and flywheel inertia as infinite; (2%) (ii) neglecting the shaft inertia. [2%] The maximum engine power is 2 MW. Calculate the maximum torque in the shaft and hence the maximum shear stress produced. If the yield stress of the steel used for the shaft is 600 MPa, estimate the factor of safety against yield. You may neglect the axial thrust from the propeller in this calculation. [5%] The torque output by the engine fluctuates by 40.5% about its mean level at a frequency three times the engine speed (the firing frequency in the six cylinder engine is three times the engine speed). Calculate the amplitude of torsional oscillations if the equivalent viscous critical damping ratio for the system is 0.01. For this calculation you may use the simple single degree of freedom model of a(i). (4%) Estimate the amplitude of the oscillating stress produced by the torsional vibration of part (d) and discuss whether it is likely to cause fatigue problems. [4%] Comment on the design and suggest possible improvements. [3%] © 2008 Imperial College Page 2 of 72. Figure Q2 represents the side view of a crane track extending from a workshop building to lift heavy materials from a vehicle and transport them into the loading store. The crane track is a uniform | section steel beam, rigidly fixed to the main concrete frame of the building, as suggested by the diagram. A civil engineer has suggested that the concrete building is rigid. \\\\ (<< (a) What simple model could you use to predict the natural frequencies of the | beam (you may neglect the mass of the crane)? Sketch the first three expected mode shapes of the | beam in vertical bending. 3%] Conerete famine Steel Beam Figure Q2 (b) Explain how you could measure the natural frequencies; will the measured values be higher or lower than the predicted ones and why? [2%] (0) The crane is required to lift a very heavy machine from a road vehicle and it is proposed to use a vertical girder between the free end of the track and the ground to support the | beam to reduce the maximum bending moment. The characteristic lateral deflection equation for the track is given by: v= C,cosh Ax +C2 sinhAx + C3cosdAx +C, sin dx where A’ = w*Ap/El ‘Assuming that the support girder is pinned to the track, derive the frequency equation for the modified structure. You may assume that the support girder is rigid. (4%) (4) Sketch the three new mode shapes for the track in vertical bending and indicate whether you would expect the measured natural frequencies to be higher or lower than in (b) and why. [4%] (e) A calibrated impact hammer, accelerometer and a 2 channel FFT analyser are to be used to measure the new natural frequencies. Suggest good locations for the accelerometer and impact to clearly determine the three natural frequencies. Make neat sketches of the expected Bode and Nyquist plots, identifying the natural frequencies. [5%] ‘© 2008 Imperial College Page 3 of 7 Turn over3. Figure Q3 shows the layout of an electric motor directly coupled to a single cylinder reciprocating piston air compressor to power the braking system on a train. The unit is mounted to the rigid chassis of the carriage under the floor using three rubber mounts as shown. The compressor is rigidly bolted to the motor and the unit has a total mass of 170 kg. (a) (b) © (d) @) () 2rear mountings Piston | [} Hm | is FANS | 2 Rear mountings pj Front mounts electric Motor a Figure Q3 How many degrees of freedom does the unit have on its suspension? Explain what is likely to be the main excitation frequency and which modes of vibration are likely to be excited when the compressor is driven at its constant operating speed of 800 rev/min. [2%] Passengers complain of high levels of vibration on the floor when the unit is running. Describe what tests you would perform to identify the problem Propose at least three possible solutions to reduce the vibrations and identify any possible negative effects of your solutions. [4%] A colleague suggests that the unit is possibly running close to resonance in a vertical bouncing mode excited by the out-of-balance piston. A laboratory test is made on one unit to measure the FRF vertically through its centre of gravity when attached to a rigid base using the three rubber mounts. This shows a vertical resonance at 11.8 Hz. He proposes using a tuned dynamic absorber to reduce the vibration. At what frequency should the absorber be tuned? [2%] Using the information provided, set up a simple two degree of freedom model to represent the system, and hence estimate the two new vertical natural frequencies if an absorber mass of 10 kg is fitted. State what assumptions you have made in deriving the model. What errors would your assumptions introduce? (6%) Suggest an appropriate location for the absorber and explain your choice [2%] If the electric motor speed alters significantly during running would the dynamic absorber be a sensible solution and why? [2%] © 2008 Imperial College Page 4 of 74. (a) Accelerometers are required to measure the following phenomena: () the amplitude of vibration of one of the bearing housings in a hot rolling mill in a steel plant; the vibration is to be monitored continuously during operation (ii) the amplitude of vibration of a small robot arm designed for use in operations on a human knee. List the factors to be considered in selecting transducers for each application and discuss which are the most important in each case. (9%) () The force transducer on an impact testing machine produces the signal shown in Figure Q4(a) when it strikes and breaks a Charpy test specimen The basic form of the signal is correct but there is substantial ringing superimposed on it. (Discuss the likely cause of the ringing. [2%] (ii) State what signal processing operations you would carry out to remove the ringing from the signal. [3%] (ii) The spectrum (amplitude versus frequency) of the signal of Figure Q4(a) is shown in Figure Q4(b). Discuss how the choice of filter cut-off frequency is likely to affect the outcome of the processing of b (ii). [4%] 1.2 os) 3 3 2 2 5 04 a 5 5 0.0) | 0-4) 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 109300400600 600 1000 time (sec) freq (Hz) Figure Q4 © 2008 Imperial College Page 5 of 7 Tum over5. In a demonstration magnetic levitation system, the vertical position of a steel ball of mass m is to be controlled by varying the current applied to an electromagnet placed above the ball as shown in Figure Q5. A baseline current applied to the electromagnet holds the ball in its desired equilibrium position (y=0). (a) (b) (o) (@) e) Write down the equation of motion for the ball in terms of i, the change in current from the baseline value. You may assume that for small excursions y about the equilibrium position, the net force on the ball is equal to ai and that this force is solely dependent on i, ie. it is independent of y. You may also assume that due to induced eddy currents and magnetic hysteresis effects there is a retarding force on the ball equal to 4j.. (2%) Obtain the open loop transfer function of the system relating the position (y) and the current (/) in terms of the Laplace transform variable, s. [2%] Draw a block diagram of the system if the position of the ball (y) relative to its desired position (yo) is to be controlled by a proportional controller and write down the closed loop transfer function. [3%] Obtain an expression for the motion of the ball as a function of time if, when it is in its equilibrium position, it is given an initial velocity, =v. You may assume that the parameters are such that the system is stable with effective damping less than critical. [8%] Suggest a transducer that could be used to measure the position of the ball in order to implement the controller. [3%] «-|____ Electromagnet j— Ball, mass, m Figure Q5 © 2008 Imperial College Page 6 of 7‘Amplitude (a) Discuss the effect of proportional, integral and derivative control on overshoot, settling time and stability. [3%] (b) A ramp input is applied to a position control servo mechanism. Draw a block diagram of the system with PID control, identifying the different elements in Laplace transform form, and discuss the effects of proportional, integral and derivative control on the steady state error. [3%] () Discuss the practical constraints on achieving a very rapid settling time in the step response of a system such as a robot arm. [3%] (4) Figure Q6(a) shows the step response of a system with a proportional controller. It is decided that the settling time is too long. A trial modification to the controller produces the response of Figure Q6(b). Suggest how this may have been achieved, justifying your answer with reference to typical effects of different controllers. [3%] () It is decided that the overshoot of Figure Q6(b) is too high. A further trial modification to the controller of Figure Q6(b) produces the response of Figure Q6(c). Suggest how this may have been achieved, again justifying your answer with reference to typical effects of different controllers. (3%) (f) The response of Figure Q6(c) is much improved, but the settling time is 005 o 5 0 16 ° = © 16 a improved further in the response of Figure Q6(d). Suggest how this may have been achieved, again justifying your answer with reference to typical effects of different controllers. 13%] (a) Time (sec.) Time (sec.) 2g 0 Amplitude 0} 0.05 Time (se) Figure Q6 © 2008 Imperial College Page 7 of 7 © @