Rigid Body Dynamics

Velocity analysis of a rotating rigid body

Outline

• Description of angular velocity of a rigid body

• Velocity of a point of a rigid body

• Vector representation of the velocity

1. Velocity of a point of a rigid body rotating about a fixed axis

RB rotates about a fixed axis A

angular velocity w, angular acceleration a

𝑒റ𝑡
y a Sign for w and a: CCW (+), CW(-)
B
𝑟റ w
𝑒റ𝑛 s Point B moves: along a circular path of radius r
x
A q Motion of point B: using N-T coordinates

position: s = rq

velocity: v = 𝑠ሶ = rqሶ = rw,

𝑣റ = rw𝑒റ𝑡
 2. Vector representation of the angular velocity
w = w𝑘
𝑒റ𝑡 𝑗റ Magnitude is w and direction follows
y a
B the right hand rule, i.e. if the fingers
𝑟റ w of the right hand curled in the rotating
𝑒റ𝑛 s direction the thumb shows the
q x 𝑖റ
A direction of the vector w.
𝑘 w

3. Vector representation of the velocity of a point

𝑣റ Motion of point B: 𝑣റ = rw𝑒റ𝑡

𝑒റ𝑡 The velocity can be represented as the cross product,

B 𝑣റ = w × 𝑟റ
𝑟റ
The magnitude is wr. The direction of the cross product
A follows the right hand rule, i.e. if the fingers of the right hand
curled from w to 𝑟റ the direction of the thumb shows the
direction of the velocity.
w
Example A circular disk of radius r = 0.1 (m) is
driven by a cable without slipping, as shown.
The cable moves with a constant acceleration Solution
a = 0.2 m/s2. If the disk and the cable are at
rest at t = 0 (s), determine the velocities of At t = 2(s), for cable, a = 0.2 m/s2, v = at = 0.2*2 = 0.4 m/s
points A and B at t = 2(s).
Velocity at C of disk: vc = v = 0.4 m/s
Angular velocity of disk: w = vc/r = 0.4/0.1 = 4 rad/s (CW)

𝑒റ𝑡 C cable Point A

B Speed: vA = rw = 0.1*4 = 0.4 m/s
𝑒റ𝑛
𝑗റ 𝑣റ A = 0.4𝑒റ𝑡 = 0.4റ𝑗 (m/s)
450
v Point B
q
A 𝑖റ a Speed: vB = rw = 0.1*4 = 0.4 m/s
o
√2 √2
𝑣റ B = 0.4𝑒റ𝑡 = 0.4( 𝑖
റ + 𝑗റ) (m/s) = 0.2 2 𝑖റ + 0.2 2 𝑗റ (m/s)
2 2
Example A circular disk of radius r = 0.1 (m) is
driven by a cable without slipping, as shown.
Solution
The cable moves with a constant acceleration
a = 0.2 m/s2. If the disk and the cable are at
At t = 2(s), for cable, a = 0.2 m/s2, v = at = 0.2*2 = 0.4 m/s
rest at t = 0 (s), determine the velocities of
point A and B at t = 2(s).
Velocity at C of disk: vc = v = 0.4 m/s
C cable Angular velocity of disk: w = vc/r = 0.4/0.1 = 4 rad/s (CW)
𝑒റ𝑡
B
𝑒റ𝑛 Vector notation w = −4𝑘 (rad/s)
𝑗റ
450
v
q Point A: 𝑣റ A = w × 𝑟റ𝐴
A 𝑖റ a
o = (−4𝑘) × (−0.1റ𝑖 ) = 0.4റ𝑗 (m/s)
𝑘 × 𝑖റ = 𝑗റ
Point B: 𝑣റ B = w × 𝑟റ𝐵
2 2 𝑘 × 𝑗റ = − 𝑖റ
= (−4𝑘) × [0.1( − 𝑖റ + 𝑗റ)]
2 2

= -0.2√2 (-𝑘 × 𝑖റ + 𝑘 × 𝑗റ)

=0.2 2 𝑗റ + 0.2 2 𝑖റ (m/s)

Consider the following questions:

How to properly identify the magnitude and direction of the angular velocity of a RB?

How to determine magnitude and direction of the velocity of a point of a rotating rigid
body?

How to use vectors to calculate the velocity of a point of a rotating rigid body?