Task 2 – During Impact: Conservation of Angular Momentum.

Determine the minimum velocity v which the wheel must have to just roll over the
obstruction. The centroidal radius of gyration of the wheel is k, and it is assumed that the
1 3
wheel does not slip. Plot v versus h for three cases: k = , and 1 m. For each case take r
2 4
= 1 m.
 Solution:
Since no slipping or rebounding occurs, the wheel pivots about point A. The force at A is
much greater than the weight, and since the time of impact is very short, the weight can be
considered non-impulsive. The reaction force at A is a problem as we don’t know either its
direction or magnitude. This force can be eliminated by applying the conservation of angular
momentum equation about A.
Minimum velocity v would be found from work energy principle, but to find it we have to
apply conservation of angular momentum also.

1) Free body diagram:

A careful examination of the free-body diagram of the particle will disclose whether the
moment of the resultant force on the particle about a fixed point is zero, in which case, the
angular momentum about that point is unchanged (conserved).
Conservation of angular
momentum around point A

1) During Impact: Conservation of Angular Momentum

2) After Impact: Work Energy

2) We develop the equations:

Before impact, there are two components for the angular momentum H, one from angular
velocity, and one from linear velocity:
v
H A =m k 2 +mv ( r −h )
r
Where r −h represents the perpendicular distance (d) from the pivot point to the force,
because the moment depends on both the force, and on the position at which the force acts.

After impact we will use primes to denote the state. Since the wheel now rotates about A we
can use the simpler formula H A= IA ω. We note that, by the parallel axis theorem:

IA = m(k +r )
2 2

So we have:

v'
HA` = 2 2
m(k +r )
r
Since we have conversation of angular moment we have:

H A =H 'A

By replacing we have:
'
2 v 2 2 v
mk +mv ( r −h ) =m( k +r )
r r
We use this equation to find symbolically the velocity after impact v' :

m k 2 +rm ( r−h )
v' =v
m(k 2 +r 2 )
We eleminate m and we can arrive at this formula:
1−rh
v' =v [ ]
( k 2 +r 2 )
 3) Work – Energy
After impact, the wheel rolls on curb point A against gravity. Thus :

ΔT+ΔVg = 0

For minimum v, kinetic energy after impact is totally expended in rolling over the
obstruction:
2
1 ( 2 2 ) v'
2
m k +r
r
=mgh ()
We replace v` that we found before and me get:

1−rh 2
1
2
m ( k 2 +r 2 ) ( v[

r
)
( k 2 +r 2 )
]
=mgh

We solve for v:

We take the positive solution and we give value to variables:

g = 9.81 m/s2
r=1m
h = 0, 0.1, .. 1 m

1 3
4) We plot v versus h for three cases: k = , and 1 m:
2 4
 5) Conclusions:
For k =1 less velocity is needed, because less energy is absorbed by buckling.