Last week ….

Understand how to find the general solution for undamped single

degree of freedom systems (Mass/’Spring’ & Mass/Spring systems)
massless spring;
massless rod;
frictionless pivot
frictionless pivot

  A1e iw n t
 A2 e  iw n t
  A1e iw n t
 A2 e  iw n t

 = B sin (nt + )  = B sin (nt + )

(where: ) (where: )

B  Amplitude of Vibration
  Phase angle at t = 0
n  Natural Frequency

School of Engineering Undergraduate Programmes 6E5Z2102 Solid Mechanics & Dynamics 2018-19
How to find the general solution when the mass of the rod is
not negligible?
massless rod;
frictionless pivot

 ? A1e iw n t
 A2 e  iw n t

? B sin (nt + )
 =
(where: ? )

We will exercise this during this week’s workshop

(study book P15 Unit 1 Example Sheet Q1)
 From the revision notes at the end of your study book
“Topic 1 Lecture 1” , we understand:
Exponential decay: Exponential growth:
y = e-x y = ex

Exponential decay:
y = e-x/t
where is called
time constant

as the is reduced, the

curve vanishes quicker
Unit 1 Lecture 2
Free Response of Mass /Spring/Damper System
 Mass/Spring/Damper System?

m
c k

School of Engineering Undergraduate Programmes 6E5Z2102 Solid Mechanics & Dynamics 2017-18
 Free Response of a Mass/Spring/Damper System

Method
1) Choose axis system and apply +ve deflection.
Draw Free Body Diagram
2) Apply Newton’s 2nd Law
(  Force = m*d2x/dt2  Torque = I*d2/dt2 )
3) Write out Equation of Motion
4) Apply trial solution Aet
5) Find Characteristic Equation, solve to find Roots l1 and l2
6) Determine General Solution

Again, we are going to follow the same steps as we did last week
to predict the behaviour of a mass/spring/damper system.
Free Response of a Mass/Spring/Damper System
1) Free Body Diagram

+ve
m
c k
Free Response of a Mass/Spring/Damper System
1) Free Body Diagram 2) Apply Newtons 2nd Law

(m*d2x/dt2 =  Forces)
+ve
m
x
c k m x   c x  kx

m
cx kx
Free Response of a Mass/Spring/Damper System

3) Equation of motion m x  c x  kx  0

or dividing by m

c k
x  x  x  0
m m
using the following

k c
Natural
Frequency
n  m
Damping
Ratio
 
2 mk

Equation of motion in standard form is ,

x  2  n x   2
n x  0
 Free Response of a Mass/Spring/Damper System
x  2  n x   2
n x  0

4) Trial Solution x = Ae t ( )
(2 + 2n + n2) Aet = 0
5) Characteristic Equation

(2 + 2n + n2) = 0

solve for roots 1 and 2 ( or s1 and s2 ) b b 2  4 ac
1, 2 
2a
Substituting we get
 2 n  2 n 2  4 n2
1, 2 
2
which finally yields
 1 , 2    n   n  2
1
Free Response of a Mass/Spring/Damper System

6) General Solution
The general solution for free motion of a mass/Spring/
Damper system is of the form

 n t n   2 1  t  n t n   2 1  t
x  A1e  
 A2e  

there are 3 distinct cases

 Case 1  > 1 known as overdamped
 Case 2  = 1 known as cri ically damped

 Case 3  < 1 known as underdamped

 Free Response of a Mass/Spring/Damper System

Example 2 (Study book P6)

To ge a be er unders anding of his solu ion we will vary he damping

coefficien ,c, and consider hree cases wi h differen values of . A mass-
spring-damper sys em can be used o represen a quar er of he car
model, where a spring and a damper connec ed in parallel is ypical of a
suspension uni from he car. We will assume ha he suspension spring
of s iffness 22 kN/m suppor s 1/4 of he mass of a ypical family car (in
his example he car has a mass of 1372 kg hence ¼ = 343 kg). Le us find
he undamped na ural frequency (n), he damping ra io (), he roo s
of he charac eris ic equa ion 1 & 2, and hence he solu ion for he
following hree values of c, 7.15, 5.5 and 1.5 kNs/m.
 Free Response of a Mass/Spring/Damper System
Example 2 (Study book P6) -- Solution
 Free Response of a Mass/Spring/Damper System
Case 1  > 1 known as overdamped

Examine the case of c = 7.15 kNs/m

c k
  ,n  and 1, 2     n   n  2
1
2 km m
which gives  = 1.3
from which 1 = -3.75 and 2 = -17.05

Hence our solution is

x = A1e-3.75t + A2e-17.05t
or x = A1e-t/0.27 + A2e-t/0.06
Notes : A1 and A2 can be found from initial conditions.
Case 1  > 1 Overdamped response
( c = 7.15 kNs/m ) -t/0.27
x = A1e + A2e-t/0.06
x A2e-t/0.06 term will decay faster than the A1e-t/0.27 term.
Hence we say the response is dominated by A1e-t/0.27
A1 It is dominated by the root 1 = -3.75
(time taken to return to zero = 40.27  1 second)
 A1e-t/0.27

time
0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25
A2 A2e-t/0.06 Overdamped
2nd order response
 Free Response of a Mass/Spring/Damper System
Case 2  = 1 known as critically damped
Examine the case of c = 5.5 kNs/m

(the case of c = 5.5 kNs/m )

1, 2     n   n  2  1
1  2  n 1 = 2 = - 8
Special case for repeated roots:
x = A1e-8t + t A2e-8t
or x = A1e-t/0.125 + t A2e-t/0.125
( 40.125 gives a reasonable estimate of settle time)
Case 2  = 1 Critically damped response
( c = 5.5 kNs/m )
x

 Critically damped
2nd order response

time
0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25

Fastest decay possible without oscillation

 Free Response of a Mass/Spring/Damper System
Case 3  < 1 known as underdamped 1, 2  n  n  2  1
Examine the case of c = 1.5 kNs/m

we need to rewrite expression for  to take account of -1

1, 2     n  i n 1   2

One final definition: we define the damped natural frequency d as,

d  n 1   2

1, 2   n  id
Case 3  < 1 known as underdamped
Examine the case of c = 1.5 kNs/m
Hence our general solution can be written as
 ( n i d ) t  ( n i d ) t
x  A1e  A2e
or

 n t i d t  i d t
xe  ( A2 e  A1e )

Exponential Oscillatory
decay
Finally
nt
x  De Sin(d t   )
where n, d and  are all characteristics of the system ( d  n 1   2 )
D and  are found from initial conditions
 Free Response of a Mass/Spring/Damper System

Case 3  < 1 known as underdamped

1, 2    n  i d
Examine the case of c = 1.5 kNs/m
x  De  n t sin(d t   )

 = 0.273, n = 8 rad/s d = 7.7 rad/s

and 1,2 = -2.19  7.7i

x  De 2.19 t
Sin (7.7t   )
Case 3  < 1 Underdamped response
c = 1.5 kNs/m
D
time to decay  4  1/2.19
 Underdamped
2nd order response
  n t
x  De sin(  d t   )

time
0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25

Td
Learning Outcomes:

 Understand how to find the general solution of a damped single degree of

freedom system (mass/spring/damper system)