Acceleration analysis (Chapter 4)

Objective: Compute accelerations (linear

and angular) of all components of a
mechanism

Outline
Definition of acceleration
(4.1, 4.2)
Acceleration analysis using relative acceleration
equations for points on same link (4.3)
Acceleration on points on same link
Graphical acceleration analysis
Algebraic acceleration analysis

General approach for acceleration analysis (4.5)

Coriolis acceleration
Application
Rolling acceleration
2

 Definition of acceleration (4.1, 4.2)

Angular = = rate of change in angular velocity
Linear = A = rate of change in linear velocity
(Note: a vector will be denoted by either a bold
character or using an arrow above the
character)

Acceleration of link in pure rotation (4.3)

AtPA
APA

P
Length of link: p
AnPA

A
Magnitude of tangential component = p,
magnitude of normal component = p 2

Acceleration of link, general case

AtPA
APA

P
Length of link: p
AnPA

A
AA

AP

AnPA

AtPA

APA

AA

AP=AA+APA
5

Graphical acceleration analysis

Four-bar linkage example (example 4.1)

AtBA
3
Clockwise
acceleration of
crank

AtA

AtB
4

AnA
1

 Problem definition: given the positions of the links, their

angular velocities and the acceleration of the input link (link
2), find the linear accelerations of A and B and the angular
accelerations of links 2 and 3.
Solution:
Find velocity of A
Solve graphically equation:

AB AA ABA

t n
t
n
AB AB AA ABA ABA

Find the angular accelerations of links 3 and 4

Graphical solution of equation

AB=AA+ABA
AtB

AtBA
3 B

AtB

A
2

AnA

AtA

AA

AtBA
-AnB

AnBA

Steps:

Draw AA, AnBA, -AtBA

Draw line normal to link 3 starting from
tip of AnB
Draw line normal to link 4 starting from origin
of AA
Find intersection and draw AtB and AtBA.
8

 Guidelines
Start from the link for which you have most information
Find the accelerations of its points
Continue with the next link, formulate and solve equation:
acceleration of one end = acceleration of other end +
acceleration difference
We always know the normal components of the acceleration of
a point if we know the angular velocity of the link on which it
lies
We always know the direction of the tangential components of
the acceleration

Algebraic acceleration analysis

(4.10)
3
A
2 a

R3

c
1

R2
4

R4
R1
1

Given: dimensions, positions, and velocities of links and angular

acceleration of crank, find angular accelerations of coupler
10
and rocker and linear accelerations of nodes A and B

Loop equation

R2 R3 R4 R1 0
Differentiate twice:
2 ae j 2 ae j 2 j 2 2be j 3 be j 3 j 3 ( 2 ce j 4 ce j 4 j 4 ) 0
2
3
4

This equation means:

t An At At An 0
An

A
B
B
A
A
BA
BA

11

CD AF
AE BD
CE BF
4
AE BD
where :

Solution

A c sin 4
B b sin 3
C a 2 sin 2 a 22 cos 2 b 32 cos 3 c 42 cos 4
D c cos 4
E b cos 3
F a 2 cos 2 a 22 sin 2 b 32 sin 3 c 42 sin 4
AA 22 ae j 2 ae j 2 j 2
AB 42 ce j 4 ce j 4 j 4

12

General approach for acceleration

analysis (4.5)

P, P (colocated points at
some instant), P on
slider, P on bar

Acceleration of P = Acceleration of P +
Acceleration of P seen from observer moving with
rod+Coriolis acceleration of P

13

Coriolis acceleration
Whenever a point is moving on a path and the
path is rotating, there is an extra component
of the acceleration due to coupling between
the motion of the point on the path and the
rotation of the path. This component is
called Coriolis acceleration.

14

Coriolis acceleration
APslip: acceleration of P as seen by observer moving with rod

VPslip
P

APcoriolis

APn
O

APt

slip
P

AP
15

Coriolis acceleration
Coriolis acceleration=2Vslip
Coriolis acceleration is normal to the radius, OP, and it
points towards the left of an observer moving with the
slider if rotation is counterclockwise. If the rotation is
clockwise it points to the right.
To find the acceleration of a point, P, moving on a rotating
path: Consider a point, P, that is fixed on the path and
coincides with P at a particular instant. Find the
acceleration of P, and add the slip acceleration of P and the
Coriolis acceleration of P.
AP=acceleration of P+acceleration of P seen from observer
moving with rod+Coriolis acceleration=AP+APslip+APCoriolis

16

Application: crank-slider mechanism

Unknown quantities marked in blue
.
B2, B3

normal to crank

Link 2, a
O2

B2 on link 2
B3 on link 3
These points
coincide at the instant
when the mechanism
is shown.
When 2=0, a=d-b

3, 3, 3

2, 2
Link 3, b
d

17

General approach for kinematic

analysis
Represent links with vectors. Use complex
numbers. Write loop equation.
Solve equation for position analysis
Differentiate loop equation once and solve
it for velocity analysis
Differentiate loop equation again and solve
it for acceleration analysis
18

Position analysis
a d cos 2 b 2 d 2 sin 2 2

a
3 sin 1( sin 2 )
b

Make sure you consider the correct quadrant for 3

19

Velocity analysis
VB3= VB2+ VB3B2

VB3B2
B2 on crank,
B3, on slider
crank
O2

rocker

VB3

// crank

rocker

.
VB2
crank

20

Velocity analysis
a 2
1
3
b cos( 2 3 )

a a 2

sin(3 2 )
cos(3 2 )

a is the relative velocity of B3 w.r.t. B2

21

Acceleration analysis
a

B cos 3 C sin 3
cos( 2 3 )

C cos 2 B sin 2
b cos( 2 3 )

Where:
B 2a 2 sin 2 a 2 sin 2 a 22 cos 2 32b cos 3
C 2a 2 cos 2 a 2 cos 2 a 22 sin 2 32b sin 3
22

Relation between accelerations of B2 (on

crank) and B3 (on slider)
Coriolis A Slip
AB3 AB2 AB
B3
3

AB3slip
// crank

Crank
B2, B3

AB3

.
AB3Coriolis
crank

Rocker

AB2

23

Rolling acceleration (4.7)

First assume that angular acceleration, , is zero
O

(absolute)

R
(absolute)

r C

No slip condition: VP=0

24

Find accelerations of C and P

-(R-r)/r (Negative sign means that CCW
rotation around center of big circle, O, results in
CW rotation of disk around its own center)
VC= (R-r) (Normal to radius OC)
AnC=VC2/(R-r) (directed toward the center O)
AnP=VC2/(R-r)+ VC2 /r (also directed toward the
center O)
Tangential components of acceleration of C and P
are zero
25

Summary of results

AC, length VC2/(R-r)

VC, length (R-r)

R
C
r
P

AP, length VC2/(R-r)+ VC2 /r

VP=0
26

Inverse curvature
(R+r)/r
VC=(R+r) (normal to OC)
AnC=VC2/(R+r) (directed toward the center O)
AnP=VC2/r - VC2 /(R+r) (directed away from the
center O)
Tangential components of acceleration are zero

27

Inverse curvature: Summary of results

r
VP=0

VC, length (R+r)

AC, length VC2/(R+r)

P

AP, length VC2 /r -VC2/(R+r)

28

Now consider nonzero angular

acceleration, 0
The results for zero angular acceleration are
still correct, but
ACt=r (normal to OC)
APt is still zero
These results are valid for both types of
curvature
29