Failure due to Random

Excitations
Mithun
Introduction

 Mechanical systems are not always excited by a harmonic force of a

fixed frequency and amplitude. Often the excitation is of random in
nature and the response of the system displays no orderly trends.

 The motion of a turbulent airflow passing over an aircraft wing,

excitation of the buildings due to ground vibration, bridges and other
structures due to ground excitation (earthquake motion), excitation
experienced by a vehicle travelling over a rough road. All these cases
are examples of random base excitation.

 Instantaneous values of displacements, velocities, accelerations and

phases are meaningless in such cases, and the problem is treated in a
statistical approach.
 The response of a system due to the random input is also random in
nature. The response of the structures/components to these loads are
non-deterministic.

 Sinusoidal vibration focusses upon a single frequency at any one time.

Random vibration is also more realistic than sinusoidal vibration testing,
because random simultaneously includes all the forcing frequencies.

 Testing the product to failure will teach many important things about the
component/structure weaknesses and ways to improve it. Random
responses study is the key for real kind of application.
 Failures can be due to :
 Exceeding of safe threshold levels
 Fatigue failures
Sine vs Random

Amplitude vs Time
history for sinusoidal
vibration

Amplitude vs Time
history for random
vibration
Gaussian Distribution
  In random vibration, it may be desired to predict the probability of a
response exceeding a particular value.

 The most commonly used probability distribution is the Normal

(Gaussian) distribution. The probability density function for a normal
distribution is

Amplitude / RMS
Power Spectral Density
 Power spectral density function (PSD) shows the strength of the
variations(energy) as a function of frequency.

 In other words, it shows at which frequencies variations are strong and

at which frequencies variations are weak. The unit of PSD is energy^2
per frequency(width)

 Obtaining energy within a specific frequency range by integrating PSD

within that frequency range.
 Miles Equation

 
Figure: Spring-mass-damper
system

M=mass
General Equation C=viscous damping coefficient
K=spring stiffness
 
X= absolute displacement of mass
Y= base input displacement
z (Relative displacement) = x– y

   
Design of components under Random
Loads
 The equipment design is indented in avoiding mechanical failure and
equipment malfunction.

 In the design, random vibration could be considered as either

 an infinite number of harmonic vibrations with unpredictable amplitude and

phase relationships in the frequency domain

 the sum of an infinite number of infinitesimal shocks occurring randomly in

the time domain.
Case 1

 Response at a particular frequency may be of primary concern.

 When a displacement sensitive device is excited at its natural frequency,

relatively large displacements may result in malfunction.

 The malfunction might be corrected by reducing the amplitude of

excitation at the particular frequency.

 This might be accomplished by inserting a vibration isolator between the

source of excitation and the device.

 Alternatively, displacement might be reduced by adjusting the stiffness

of the device, or by increasing damping at the natural frequency of the
device
Case 2

 If the random vibration is considered as an infinite number of

infinitesimal shocks, the overall Grms may result in a fatigue related
structural failure of a component due to the intermittent shocks
associated with the random excitation.

 In this case, the problem might be corrected by reducing the overall

Grms or by increasing the strength of the component.
 Failure Analysis due to Exceeding Threshold

 X(t) = response

 Tf = Time taken by X(t) to cross the

threshold “α”

 Failure is defined when X(t) crosses

threshold “α” in time interval [0, T ]

 The probability of survival

X(t) < α, for all time [0, T]

 Probability of failure Pf = 1 - P[X(t) ≤ α, for all t  (0, T)]

 Failure Analysis due to Fatigue
 The relationship between the stress levels and the number

of cycles is through a power law of the form

 For loads with variable (but regular) amplitude levels, the fatigue life is computed
by computing the fractional damage in the material due to one cycle of
loading with amplitude level Si.

 If Ni cycles are required for failure with loading of amplitude Si, the fractional
damage due to one such cycle is 1/Ni

 If there are ni such cycles, the fractional damage is computed as

 Thus, the total fractional damage due to a loading with ‘k’ different amplitude
levels is given by Miners Rule