MECN3027 – Mechanical Vibrations

Name: Student No:

Assignment 8 – OPEN BOOK SPOT TEST – 2DOF (30 marks)

An undamped two DOF system consists of a

uniform slender rod of mass m1 kg and length
2l m, suspended from one end at O, connected
mid-length to a trolley of mass m2 kg by means
of a spring of stiffness k N/m. The trolley is at-
tached to a support via a spring of stiffness 2k
N/m. The slender rod is vertical at static equi-
librium. The system parameters are m1 = 10 kg,
m2 = 5 kg, l = 1 m, k = 500 N/m.

SE

(a) Derive the coupled differential equations of motion of the system in terms of variables θ and x,
and write in matrix form.

(b) Assuming harmonic solutions for the response of the rod θ (t) = Θ cos ωt, and the trolley x(t) =
X cos ωt, determine the natural frequencies ω1 and ω2 , and mode shapes (in standard form) of
the system.

(c) In the first mode of vibration, for stable oscillations of the the rod of amplitude 0.12 rad, what
would be the amplitude of vibration of the trolley?

(d) Write down the equations that describe the general response of the system, in terms of the
(1) (2)
unknown amplitudes Θ1 and Θ1 , the unknown phase angles ψ1 and ψ2 , the known natural
frequencies ω1 and ω2 , and the scaling parameters r1 and r2 .