Planar Mechanisms

Solved Examples

Solved examples mainly from Beer

and Johnston, chapter 17.

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Example 1

To determine the angular velocity of various components of a planar mechanism.

The following diagram shows a planar mechanism with BD hinged at A and CD hinged at D.
AB=BC=0.2 m, CD=0.1 m. The angular velocity of AB at this instant is 30 rad/s in the
clockwise direction. Find the angular velocities of the members BC and DC at this instant

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Solution:
(All angles in degrees)
For link AB,
vB = vA + wAB x rB/A vB = 0 + (-30 k)x(0.2 cos(60) i + 0.2
sin(60) j)
vB = 5.2 i - 3.0 j
Link BC
vC = vB + wBC x rC/B vC = 5.2 i -3.0 j + wBC k x 0.2 i
vC = 5.2 i + (0.2 wBC - 3.0) j
Link CD
vD = vC + wCD x rD/C 0 = vC + wCD k x 0.1 i
vC = 0.1 wCD j
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Equating the two expressions for vC,

5.2 i + (0.2 wBC - 3.0) j = 0.1 wCD i
Equating the i and j components
wCD = 52 k rad/s
wBC = 15 k rad/s
The two angular velocities are both in the
counter-clockwise direction.

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Example 2

To determine the acceleration of the piston of a slider crank mechanism

The following diagram shows a slider crank mechanism with AB hinged at A and
the piston C sliding along the j axis. AB=0.25 m, BC=0.75 m. The angular
velocity and angular acceleration of AB at this instant is 10 rad/s and 20 rad/s2
in the clockwise direction. Find the acceleration of the piston at this instant

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Solution
Given: rB/A = -0.25 sin(45 degrees) i + 0.25 cos(45 degrees) j
= -0.177 i + 0.177 j
rC/B = 0.75 sin(13.6 degrees) i + 0.75 cos(13.6 degrees) j
= 0.176 i + 0.729 j
wAB = -10 k, aAB = -20 k, wBC = wBC k, aBC = aBC k
vC = vC j, aC = aC j
Velocity analysis:
vB = wAB x rB/A
vC j = 1.77 j + 1.77 i + (wBC k) x (0.176 i + 0.729 j)
vC j = 1.77 j + 1.77 i + 0.176 wBC j -0.729 wBC i
Comparing components of i and j:
0 = 1.77 - 0.729 wBC, wBC = 2.43 rad/s
vC = 1.77 + 0.176 wBC, vC = 2.20 m/s
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Acceleration analysis:
aB = aAB x rB/A - wAB2 rB/A = (-20 k) x (-0.177 i + 0.177 j) - 100 x
(-0.177 i + 0.177 j)
= 21.24 i - 14.16 j m/s2
aC = aB + aBC x rC/B - wBC2 rC/B aC j = 21.24 i - 14.16 j + aBC k x
(0.176 i + 0.729 j) - 2.432 (0.176 i + 0.729 j)
aC j = 21.24 i - 14.16 j + 0.176 aBC j - 0.729 aBC i - 1.04 i - 4.30 j
0 = 20.20 - 0.729 aBC
aC = 0.176 aBC - 18.46
aBC = 27.7 rad/s2
aC = -13.6 m/s2
It should be noted that acceleration analysis usually
requires information on angular velocities which are
computed by velocity analysis.

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Example 3

To determine the velocity and angular velocity of components of a

quick return mechanism
The following diagram shows a quick return mechanism with the collar
P moving freely along the link BE. At the instant shown, the crank AP is
moving with an angular velocity of 6 rad/s in the clockwise direction.
Determine the angular velocity of the link BE as well as the relative
sliding velcity of P with respect to the link BE. AB = 200 mm.

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Solution
Let P' be a point on the line BE coinciding with P at the instant
under consideration.The magnitude of the velocity of P is
vP= AP x w of AP
To determine the length AP, we use the sine rule,
AP/sin20(degrees) = BP/sin120(degrees) = AB/sin40(degrees)
Therefore AP = 106.42 mm, BP = 269.46 mm
vP= AP x omega of AP = 106.42 x 6 = 638.52 mm/s
The direction of the velocity of P is normal to AP.

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Velocity diagram
We can then construct the following velocity diagram.
Velocity of P is equal to velocity of P' plus velocity of P
relative to P'. Velocity of P is known and first indicated on
the diagram. Velocity of P', a point fixed on BE at this instant
must be normal to BE. Velocity of P relative to P' must be
along BE.

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From the above diagram,

vP'= 638.52 x cos40(degrees) = w of BE x BP =489.13
mm/s
w of BE = 489.13/269.46 = 1.8152 rad/s
velocity of P relative to P' or velocity of P relative to BE
= vP/P'= 638.52 sin40(degrees) = 410.4 mm/s
Of course we can also use the vector equation to
solve this problem. The velocity diagram gives you a
better understanding of the whole process.

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Example 4 (you can try it out and

compare the answers)

The following diagram shows a four-bar mechanism. At a particular instant, the

position vectors are as follows:
rB/A = 200 i + 350 j rD/E = -425 i + 425 j rD/B = 300 i + 75 j The link AB is
rotating at a constant angular velocity of 20 rad/s in the counter-clockwise
direction. Determine the angular velocities and angular accelerations of
links BD and DE.

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Solution

For kinematic analysis, the first step is to determine the angular velocities. All
the links are rigid bodies. We can use the kinetmatic relation between two points
fixed on a rigid body to write down the equation for each link. Refer to the note
on this topic for more details.
First of all, apply the relation for link AB to write down the velocity for B.
Thereafter, apply the relation for link BD to write down the expression for the
velocity of D. Finally, apply the relation for link BD to relate these two
expressions.

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For link AB, vB = vA + wAB x rB/A , vA = 0

For link DE, vD = vE + wDE x rD/E , vE = 0
For link BD, vD = vB + wBD x rD/B
Thereafter, substitute the expression of vB and vD into the above
expression.
The answers are as follows:
wBD = -29.3 k rad/s wDE = 11.29 k rad/s

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For link AB, aB = aA + aAB x rB/A + wAB x ( wAB x rB/A) = aA + aAB x rB/A - wAB2 rB/A
For link DE, aD = aE + aDE x rD/E + wDE x ( wDE x rD/E) = aE + aDE x rD/E - wDE2 rD/E
For link BD, aD = aB + aBD x rD/B + wDB x ( wDB x rD/B) = aB + aDB x rD/B - wDB2 rD/B
Substitute the acceleration for aB and aD into the last expression to determine
the angular accelerations.
The answers are as follows:
aBD = - 644 k rad/s2
aDE = 808 k rad/s2

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A Quick return mechanism animation

http://www.mekanizmalar.com/simple_w
hitworth_quick_return_mechanism.html

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