ME 301 – MECE 301 THEORY OF MACHINES I

HOMEWORK 2
QUESTION 1.

For the inverted slider-crank mechanism given, the joint variables are 𝜃12 , 𝜃14 and 𝑠23 . The
LCE is ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐴𝑜 𝐴 + ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐴𝐵3 = 𝐴 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑜 𝐵𝑜 + 𝐵𝑜 𝐵4 ⇒ 𝑎2 𝑒
𝑖𝜃12
+ 𝑠23 𝑖𝑒 𝑖𝜃12 = 𝑎1 + 𝑎4 𝑒 𝑖𝜃14 .
Input variable is 𝜃12 . Find the unknown joint velocities 𝜃̇14 and 𝑠̇23 in terms of 𝜃̇12 and the joint
variables. Find and sketch singular positions. Find the unknown joint accelerations 𝜃̈14 and 𝑠̈23
in terms of 𝜃̈12 , the joint velocities and the joint variables.

Note: Schematically the mechanism can be drawn as

Solution:

VLE : 𝑎2 𝜃̇12 𝑖𝑒 𝑖𝜃12 + 𝑠̇ 23 𝑖𝑒 𝑖𝜃12 − 𝑠23 𝜃̇12 𝑒 𝑖𝜃12 = 𝑎4 𝜃̇14 𝑖𝑒 𝑖𝜃14

Component equations are
−𝑎2 𝜃̇12 sin 𝜃12 − 𝑠̇23 sin 𝜃12 − 𝑠23 𝜃̇12 cos 𝜃12 = −𝑎4 𝜃̇14 sin 𝜃14
𝑎2 𝜃̇12 cos 𝜃12 + 𝑠̇23 cos 𝜃12 − 𝑠23 𝜃̇12 sin 𝜃12 = 𝑎4 𝜃̇14 cos 𝜃14
𝑎4 sin 𝜃14 −sin 𝜃12 𝜃̇14 (𝑎 sin 𝜃12 + 𝑠23 cos 𝜃12 )𝜃̇12
[ ]{ } = { 2 }
−𝑎4 cos 𝜃14 cos 𝜃12 𝑠̇23 (−𝑎2 cos 𝜃12 + 𝑠23 sin 𝜃12 )𝜃̇12
 (𝑎2 sin 𝜃12 +𝑠23 cos 𝜃12 )𝜃̇12 −sin 𝜃12
| |
(−𝑎2 cos 𝜃12 +𝑠23 sin 𝜃12 )𝜃̇12 cos 𝜃12 𝑠23
𝜃̇14 = 𝑎 sin 𝜃14 −sin 𝜃12 =𝑎 𝜃̇12 = 𝑔42 𝜃̇12
| 4 | 4 sin(𝜃14 −𝜃12 )
−𝑎4 cos 𝜃14 cos 𝜃12
𝑠23
where 𝑔42 = 𝑎
4 sin(𝜃14 −𝜃12 )

𝑎4 sin 𝜃14 (𝑎2 sin 𝜃12 +𝑠23 cos 𝜃12 )𝜃̇12

| |
−𝑎4 cos 𝜃14 (−𝑎2 cos 𝜃12 +𝑠23 sin 𝜃12 )𝜃̇12 −𝑎2 sin(𝜃14 −𝜃12 )+𝑠23 cos(𝜃14 −𝜃12 )
𝑠̇23 = 𝑎 sin 𝜃14 −sin 𝜃12 = 𝜃̇12
| 4 | sin(𝜃14 −𝜃12 )
−𝑎4 cos 𝜃14 cos 𝜃12

𝑠23 cos(𝜃14 −𝜃12 ) 𝑠 cos(𝜃 −𝜃12 )

𝑠̇23 = (−𝑎2 + ) 𝜃̇12 = 𝑔32 𝜃̇12 where 𝑔32 = −𝑎2 + 23sin(𝜃 14
sin(𝜃14 −𝜃12 ) −𝜃 ) 14 12

Then the accelerations are found as

̇
𝑠̇ sin(𝜃14 −𝜃12 )−𝑠23 (𝜃14 −𝜃12 ) cos(𝜃14 −𝜃12 )̇
𝜃̈14 = 𝑔42 𝜃̈12 + 𝑔̇ 42 𝜃̇12 where 𝑔̇ 42 = 23 𝑎 sin2 (𝜃 −𝜃 ) 4 14 12

𝑠̈14 = 𝑔32 𝜃̈12 + 𝑔̇ 32 𝜃̇12 where

[𝑠̇23 cos(𝜃14 −𝜃12 )−𝑠23 (𝜃̇14 −𝜃̇12 ) sin(𝜃14 −𝜃12 )] sin(𝜃14 −𝜃12 )−𝑠23 (𝜃̇14 −𝜃̇12 ) cos2(𝜃14 −𝜃12 )
𝑔̇ 32 = sin2(𝜃14 −𝜃12 )

Singular Positions:
𝑎 sin 𝜃14 −sin 𝜃12
|𝐴| = | 4 | = 𝑎4 sin(𝜃14 − 𝜃12 ) = 0 ⇒ 𝜃14 − 𝜃12 = 0, 180𝑜
−𝑎4 cos 𝜃14 cos 𝜃12

𝜃14 = 𝜃12

𝜃14 − 𝜃12 = 180𝑜

QUESTION 2.

For the mechanism shown below, the joint variables are assigned by disconnecting revolute
joints at A and B. Then the LCEs are
1st Loop: A0 A  A0 B0  B0 A , in complex form: 𝑎2 𝑒 𝑖𝜃12 = −𝑎1 + s43 𝑒𝑖𝜃14
2nd loop: B0 B  B0Q  QC0  C0 B , in complex form: −(𝑎3 − s43 )𝑒 𝑖𝜃14 = 𝑖𝑏1 − 𝑐1 + s65 𝑒𝑖𝜃16

𝐴𝑜 𝐵𝑜 = 𝑎1 , 𝑄𝐵𝑜 = 𝑏1 , 𝐶𝑜 𝑄 = 𝑐1, 𝐴𝑜 𝐴 = 𝑎2 , 𝐴𝐵 = 𝑎3

a) Obtain the velocity loop equations with real and imaginary parts.
b) The input is 𝜃12 . Solving the LCEs loop by loop, determine the velocity variables ṡ 43, 𝜃̇14 ,
ṡ 65 and 𝜃̇16 in terms of 𝜃̇12 and the position variables. Find the singular positions of each
loop.

Solution:
a) The VLEs are
VLE 1: 𝑎2 𝜃̇12 𝑖𝑒 𝑖𝜃12 = ṡ 43 𝑒𝑖𝜃14 + s43 𝜃̇14 𝑖 𝑒𝑖𝜃14
VLE 2: −(𝑎3 − s43 )𝜃̇14 𝑖𝑒 𝑖𝜃14 + ṡ 43 𝑒 𝑖𝜃14 = ṡ 65 𝑒𝑖𝜃16 +s65 𝜃̇ 16 𝑖𝑒 𝑖𝜃16
The component equations of the VLEs can be written are
VLE 1 : −𝑎2 𝜃̇12 sin 𝜃12 = ṡ 43 cos 𝜃14 − s43 𝜃̇14 sin 𝜃14
𝑎2 𝜃̇12 cos 𝜃12 = ṡ 43 sin 𝜃14 + s43 𝜃̇14 cos 𝜃14
VLE 2 : (𝑎3 − s43 )𝜃̇14 sin 𝜃14 + ṡ 43 cos 𝜃14 = ṡ 65 cos 𝜃16 − s65 𝜃̇16 sin 𝜃16
−(𝑎3 − s43 )𝜃̇14 cos 𝜃14 + ṡ 43 sin 𝜃14 = ṡ 65 sin 𝜃16 + s65 𝜃̇16 cos 𝜃16
b) Solution of VLE 1:
cos 𝜃14 −s43 sin 𝜃14 ṡ 43 −𝑎 𝜃̇ sin 𝜃12
[ ] { ̇ } = { 2 12 }
sin 𝜃14 s43 cos 𝜃14 𝜃14 𝑎2 𝜃̇12 cos 𝜃12
Using Cramer’s rule
−𝑎2 𝜃̇ 12 sin 𝜃12 −s43 sin 𝜃14
| |
𝑎2 𝜃̇ 12 cos 𝜃12 s43 cos 𝜃14 𝑎2 s43 𝜃̇ 12 sin(𝜃14 −𝜃12 )
ṡ 43 = cos 𝜃14 −s43 sin 𝜃14 = s43
= 𝑎2 𝜃̇ 12 sin(𝜃14 − 𝜃12 )
| |
sin 𝜃14 s43 cos 𝜃14

cos 𝜃14 −𝑎2 𝜃̇12 sin 𝜃12

| |
sin 𝜃14 𝑎2 𝜃̇12 cos 𝜃12 𝑎2 𝜃̇12 cos(𝜃14 −𝜃12 )
𝜃̇14 = cos 𝜃14 −s43 sin 𝜃14 =
| | s43
sin 𝜃14 s43 cos 𝜃14

Singular position occurs when:

cos 𝜃14 −s43 sin 𝜃14
|𝐴| = | | = s43 = 0
sin 𝜃14 s43 cos 𝜃14

Solution of VLE 2:
cos 𝜃16 −s65 sin 𝜃16 ṡ 65 (𝑎 − s43 )𝜃̇14 sin 𝜃14 + ṡ 43 cos 𝜃14
[ ]{ ̇ } = { 3 }
sin 𝜃16 s65 cos 𝜃16 𝜃16 −(𝑎3 − s43 )𝜃̇14 cos 𝜃14 + ṡ 43 sin 𝜃14
(𝑎3 −s43 )𝜃̇ 14 sin 𝜃14 +ṡ 43 cos 𝜃14 −s65 sin 𝜃16
| |
−(𝑎3 −s43 )𝜃̇ 14 cos 𝜃14 +ṡ 43 sin 𝜃14 s65 cos 𝜃16
Ṡ65 = cos 𝜃16 −s65 sin 𝜃16
| |
sin 𝜃16 s65 cos 𝜃16

ṡ 65 = −(𝑎3 − s43 )𝜃̇ 14 sin(𝜃16 − 𝜃14 ) + ṡ 43 cos(𝜃16 − 𝜃14 )

cos 𝜃16 (𝑎3 −s43 )𝜃̇ 14 sin 𝜃14 +ṡ 43 cos 𝜃14
| |
sin 𝜃16 −(𝑎3 −s43 )𝜃̇ 14 cos 𝜃14 +ṡ 43 sin 𝜃14
θ̇16 = cos 𝜃16 −s65 sin 𝜃16
| |
sin 𝜃16 s65 cos 𝜃16
1
θ̇16 = − s [(𝑎3 − s43 )𝜃̇ 14 cos(𝜃16 − 𝜃14 ) + ṡ 43 sin(𝜃16 − 𝜃14 )]
65

Singular position occurs when:

cos 𝜃16 −s65 sin 𝜃16
|𝐴| = | | = s65 = 0
sin 𝜃16 s65 cos 𝜃16