WRITING A TRANSFER FUNCTION FOR A MECHANICAL

SYSTEM
The following example illustrates how to write a transfer function to describe a mechanical
system.

THE PROBLEM
Given the mechanical system

K1
K2

B2

Spring

B1

M1
f ( t)
K3

K2

B2

Dashpot
(mechanical
resistance)

x1
Input
force

B3

Mass
(output)

M2

x2

find the transfer function G(s) for the system

F( s )

G( s )

X 2 (s )

LIST THE FORCES ON EACH MASS

Forces on M1:

K1 x1
K 3 ( x2 x1 )

B1 x&1
B3 ( x&2 x&1 )

K 2 x2
K 3 ( x2 x1 )

B2 x&2
B3 ( x&2 x&1 )

f (t )

Forces on M2:

WRITE THE DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS FOR EACH MASS

M 1 &&
x1 = K1 x1 B1 x&1 + K 3 ( x2 x1 ) + B3 ( x&2 x&1 ) + f ( t )
M 2 &&
x2 = K 2 x2 B2 x&2 K 3 ( x2 x1 ) B3 ( x&2 x&1 )

http://www.teicontrols.com/notes

tomzap@eden.com

MechanicalSystem.pdf

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CONVERT TO THE S-DOMAIN

M 1s 2 X 1 ( s ) = K1 X 1 ( s ) + K 3 X 2 ( s ) X 1 ( s ) B1 sX 1 ( s ) + B3 sX 2 ( s ) sX 1 ( s ) + F ( s )
M 2 s 2 X 2 ( s ) = K 2 X 2 ( s ) B2 sX 2 ( s ) K 3 X 2 ( s ) X 1 ( s ) B3 sX 2 ( s ) sX 1 ( s )
REARRANGE AS SUMS OF THE NET FORCES
M 1s 2 X 1 ( s ) + K1 X 1 ( s ) K 3 X 2 ( s ) K 3 X 1 ( s ) + B1sX 1 ( s ) B3 sX 2 ( s ) + B3 sX 1 ( s ) = F ( s )
M 2 s 2 X 2 ( s ) + K 2 X 2 ( s ) + B2 sX 2 ( s ) + K 3 X 2 ( s ) K 3 X 1 ( s ) + B3sX 2 ( s ) B3 sX 1 ( s ) = 0
PLACE IN MATRIX FORM
X1 terms:

X 2 terms:

M1 terms: M 1s 2 + K1 + B1 s + K 3 + B3 s
X1 ( s ) F ( s )
-K 3 B3 s
=

2
M 2 terms:
K 3 B3 s
M 2 s + K 2 + B2 s + K 3 + B3 s X 2 ( s ) 0
SOLVE FOR X2(s)

X2 (s) =

X2 (s) =

M1 s 2 + K1 + B1 s + K3 + B3 s
K 3 B3 s

F ( s)
0

M1s + K1 + B1 s + K3 + B3 s
- K3 B3 s
2
M 2 s + K 2 + B2 s + K 3 + B3 s
K 3 B3 s
2

F ( s ) [ K 3 B3 s ]

M1s 2 + K1 + B1 s + K3 + B3 s M 2 s 2 + K 2 + B2 s + K3 + B3 s ( K 3 B3 s )

SOLVE FOR G(s)

G (s) =

X2 ( s)
K 3 + B3 s
=
2
F ( s ) M1 s + K1 + B1 s + K3 + B3 s M 2 s 2 + K 2 + B2 s + K 3 + B3 s ( K3 B3 s ) 2

We have solved for the transfer function of the system, G(s). If we instead solved for
X2(s) and converted this to the time domain as x2(t), this would be the position of the
mass Ms as a function of time t. If we multiplied the expression for X2(s) by s before
converting to the time domain, this would be the equivalent of taking the derivative in the
time domain and the result would be the velocity of M2.

http://www.teicontrols.com/notes

tomzap@eden.com

MechanicalSystem.pdf

page 2 of 2