Course Project

Vibration of a Free-Free Beam

MENG 4555
Applied Vibration Measurement, Analysis, & Control

Danny Ayoub (ID: 900182278)

Ola Haiba (ID: 900191339)

Dr. Mustafa Arafa

Eng. Moataz El-Dakroury

December 11, 2023

Fall 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction & Objectives 4

2. Geometry, Dimensions, & Material Properties of the Beam 5

3. Estimating the Stiffness of the Soft Springs 6

4. Modeling the Vibratory System 7

4.1 Simplified Mass-spring System 7

4.2 Continuous System 10

5. Experimental Procedure 11

5.1 Inducing Rigid-Body Motion 11

5.2 Inducing Bending Vibrations 12

6. Experimental Results 13

6.1 Inducing Rigid-Body Motion 13

6.2 Inducing Bending Vibrations 14

7. Discussion & Conclusion 16

8. References

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Experimental Setup 4

Figure 2: 50g Mass 6

Figure 3: Measuring the Deflected Spring’s Length 6

Figure 4: Simplified Mass-Spring Model 7

Figure 5: Forces Applied to the Beam 8

Figure 6: Inducing Vertical Rigid-body Motion 11

Figure 7: Inducing Angular Rigid-body Motion 12

Figure 8: Inducing Bending Vibration Setup 12

Figure 9: A Screenshot of Slow-Mo Vertical (left) & Angular (right) Motion Videos 13

Figure 10: Frequency Spectrum Portraying the Natural Frequencies 14

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Geometry, Dimensions, & Material Properties of Beam 5

Table 2: Applying Lagrange’s Equation (Steps) 8

Table 3: Theoretical & Experimental Natural Frequencies (Rigid-Body Model) 13

Table 4: Theoretical & Experimental Natural Frequencies (Continuous System) 15

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 1. INTRODUCTION & OBJECTIVES

This report focuses on the vibration analysis of a free-free beam. A free-free beam
refers to a type of beam which is not fixed or supported at either end, allowing for complete
freedom of movement. In other words, the beam is not restrained against translation or
rotation at either end. As displayed in Figure 1, the experimental setup utilized consists of a
steel beam which is suspended by two soft springs from a support. The experimental work of
this report includes exciting the beam by hand to induce rigid-body motion of the beam and
exciting the beam with a hammer to induce bending vibrations in the beam. In addition, the
objective of this experiment is to model the beam as a rigid body and a continuous system
and compare the theoretical natural frequencies obtained from each model with their
respective experimental natural frequencies.

Figure 1: Experimental Setup

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 2. GEOMETRY, DIMENSIONS, & MATERIAL PROPERTIES OF
THE BEAM

The length and diameter of the steel beam were measured using a ruler. In addition, an electronic
scale was used to measure the mass of the beam. It was assumed that the material of the beam
was Stainless Steel Grade 304. Accordingly, the density and Young’s modulus were obtained
from ASM Materials Engineering Dictionary [1]. The geometry, dimensions, and material
properties of the beam are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1: Geometry, Dimensions, & Material Properties of Beam

Length 0.71 𝑚

Diameter 0.0083 𝑚
π 2 −5 2
Cross-Sectional Area 4
× 0. 0083 = 5. 41 × 10 𝑚

Mass 0.282 𝑘𝑔
3
Density 7930 𝑘𝑔/𝑚

Young’s Modulus 203 𝐺𝑃𝑎

4
π × 0.0083 −10 4
Moment of Inertia 𝐼= 64
= 2. 3296 × 10 𝑚

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 3. ESTIMATING THE STIFFNESS OF THE SOFT SPRINGS

Initially, one of the two elastic rubber bands were removed from the experimental setup to
estimate the value of its stiffness. The length of the undeflected rubber band was measured to be
5.3 cm. Afterwards, a mass of 50 grams, portrayed in Figure 2, was attached to the elastic rubber
band, as shown in Figure 3, and the total length was recorded to be 8 cm. Utilizing the deflection
of the spring under the known weight, the stiffness of the spring was calculated to be 18.167 N/m
as shown in Equation 1. In addition, it was assumed that both springs in the experimental setup
had the same stiffness value.

𝑚𝑔 = 𝑘𝑥

50 (8−5.3)
1000
× 9. 81 = 𝑘 × 100

𝑘 = 18. 167 𝑁/𝑚

Figure 2: 50g Mass Figure 3: Measuring the Deflected Spring’s Length

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 4. MODELING THE VIBRATORY SYSTEM

4.1 SIMPLIFIED MASS-SPRING MODEL

Modeling the vibratory system as a simplified mass-spring system entails that the
components of the system are assumed to be discrete. In other words, the mass is assumed to be
rigid and concentrated at the center of gravity of the beam. In addition, the stiffness is
represented in the form of massless springs attached to the rigid beam. The motion of beam is
assumed to be restricted to vertical motion, indicated by x, and angular motion, represented by .
The simplified mass-spring model is displayed in Figure 4. In addition, the forces applied by
each spring are shown in Figure 5. The center of gravity was assumed to be at the midpoint of
the beam. It must be noted that is the distance from the left spring to the center of gravity
which was measured to be 15.5 cm and is the distance from the center of gravity to the right
spring which was measured to be 20 cm.

Figure 4: Simplified Mass-spring Model

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 Figure 5: Forces Applied to the Beam

The kinetic energy is expressed as:

The potential energy is expressed as:

Now applying Lagrange’s equation:

Table 2: Applying Lagrange’s Equation (Steps)

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Hence, the equations of motion are:

In matrix form:

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 4.2 CONTINUOUS SYSTEM MODEL

The mass and elasticity are continuously distributed in the continuous system model of the
vibratory system. Accordingly, the continuous system has an infinite number of degrees of
freedom as an infinite number of coordinates are required to specify the displacement of every
point in an elastic body. Equation 11, obtained from the 11th Chapter (Transverse Vibrations of
Beams) of Rao’s Vibration of Continuous Systems textbook, was utilized to calculate the
theoretical natural frequencies of the beam, modeled as a continuous system [2].

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5. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

5.1 INDUCING RIGID-BODY MOTION

1. Initially, we measured the distance from the center of the beam to each spring and from
the center to each of the rulers in order to solve for the theoretical natural frequencies of
the rigid body-modeled beam.
2. The first trial consisted of displacing the beam vertically from its edge in order to induce
the vertical rigid-body motion as illustrated in Figure 6.
3. Afterwards, motion of the beam at each end was recorded in slow-motion in order to
obtain the cycle time and frequency of the vibrating beam. In addition, it must be noted
that rulers were fixed near each end of the beam to aid in the visual approximation of the
cycle time.
4. Similarly, during the second trial the beam was slightly tilted and displaced from one end
to induce the rigid body angular motion as demonstrated in Figure 7.
5. Afterwards, the motion of the beam at each end was recorded in slow-motion.

Figure 6: Inducing Vertical Rigid-body Motion

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 Figure 7: Inducing Angular Rigid-body Motion

5.2 INDUCING BENDING VIBRATIONS

1. The diameter and length of the rod were measured using a ruler, in addition the mass of
the rod was obtained with the use of an electronic scale. This step is required to obtain the
theoretical natural frequencies of the beam modeled as a continuous system.
2. A microphone was held near the steel beam, connected to a frequency spectrum analyzer,
as the beam was excited with a hammer to induce bending vibrations as portrayed in
Figure 8
3. With the aid of the frequency spectrum analyzer, we were able to observe the peaks
which represented the natural frequencies which the beam vibrated at.

Figure 8: Inducing Bending Vibration Setup

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 6. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

6.1 INDUCING RIGID-BODY MOTION

The theoretical & experimental natural frequencies of the simplified mass-spring model are
shown in Table 3. Analyzing the slow-mo videos of the vertical and angular motion of the rigid
beam, it was deduced the cycle times were 0.75 and 0.625 seconds respectively. Screenshots of
both videos are portrayed in Figure 9.

Table 3: Theoretical & Experimental Natural Frequencies (Rigid-Body Model)

Vertical Motion Angular Motion

Theoretical Experimental Theoretical Experimental
𝑤 (rad/sec) 𝑤 (rad/sec) % Error % Error
𝑤 (rad/sec) 𝑤 (rad/sec)

1 1
9.62456 0.75 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠
× 2π = 8. 377 12.96 11.59167 0.625 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠
× 2π = 10. 05 13.299

Figure 9: A Screenshot of Slow-Mo Vertical (left) & Angular (right) Motion Videos

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 6.2 INDUCING BENDING VIBRATIONS

The natural frequencies, present as a result of the induced bending vibrations in the beam, are
displayed along the frequency spectrum in Figure 10. In addition, utilizing the frequency
spectrum, the observed natural frequencies were summarized in a tabular form and contrasted
with the theoretical natural frequencies as shown in Table 4.

Figure 10: Frequency Spectrum Portraying the Natural Frequencies

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 Table 4: Theoretical & Experimental Natural Frequencies (Continuous System)

n 𝑓𝑛 (kHz) Theoretical 𝑤𝑛(rad/sec) Experimental 𝑤𝑛(rad/sec) % Error

1 462.48

2 1284.67

3 2517.96

4 4162.34

5 6217.82

6 1.288 8684.39 8092 6.82

7 1.672 11562.06 10505 9.14

8 2.248 14850.82 14124 4.89

9 2.824 18550.68 17743 4.35

10 3.4 22661.63 21363 5.73

11 4.04 27183.68 25384 6.62

12 4.744 32116.82 29807 7.19

13 6.408 37461.06 40262 7.48

14 7.24 43216.40 45490 5.26

15 8.2 49382.83 51522 4.33

16 9.16 55960.36 57553 2.85

17 10.184 62948.98 63987 1.65

18 11.336 70348.69 71226 1.25

19 12.424 78159.50 78062 0.12

20 13.576 86381.41 85300 1.25

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 7. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION

The vibration analysis conducted aimed to model a free-free beam as both a simplified
mass-spring system and a continuous system. Modeling the steel beam as a lumped-parameter
system or a discrete system implies that the mass of the beam is rigid and concentrated at an
individual point. Furthermore, analyzing the lumped model, the elastic rubber bands are
considered to be massless. When considering the

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 8. REFERENCES

[1] Davis, J. R. (Ed.). (1992). ASM materials engineering dictionary. ASM international.
[2] Rao, S. S. (2019). Vibration of continuous systems. John Wiley & Sons.

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