4600:431/531 Fundamentals of Mechanical Vibrations

Spring 2015
Dr. S.G. Kelly

COURSE POLICIES

TEXT: The required textbook is Mechanical Vibrations Theory and Applications by S.

Graham Kelly, Cengage Learning, 2011. ISBN 978-1-4390-6212-8

GRADING: Semester grades will be calculated according to the following

Exam 1 23%
Exam 2 23%
Final Exam 26%
Homework 10%
Project 18%

Each student will receive a score from 0 to 1000 on each item. The semester exams
and the final exam will be curved individually, if necessary. A semester average will be
calculated based upon the above weighting. Semester grades will not be curved and will
be assigned according to the following table:

A: ≥925 C-: ≥700

A-: ≥ 900 D+: ≥675
B+: ≥875 D: ≥ 625
B: ≥825 D-: ≥ 600
B-: ≥800 F: < 600
C+: ≥775
C: ≥725

EXAMS: All exams are open book and open notes.

HOMEWORK: Homework will be assigned every Wednesday and will be due the
following Wednesday. Homework is due at class time. Late homework will not be
accepted without a valid excuse. Each student’s homework score is the average of their
eight highest homework scores. Working together on the homework is encouraged,
however submission of a homework paper implies active participation in the solution of
the homework. Copying directly from past homework solutions or the solutions manual
of the book is prohibited . Anyone caught doing so will receive a grade of zero for the
entire homework grade (10 %).

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Examples of

academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, copying another student’s
work, and giving or receiving unauthorized aid on an examination. The minimum penalty
for any incident of academic dishonesty will be a grade of “F” in the course.
Fundamentals of Mechanical Vibrations

Course Outline

I. Introduction
A. Review of dynamics
B. Classification of vibration
II. Free Vibrations of SDOF Systems
A. Derivation of governing differential equations
1. Free-body diagram method
2. Equivalent systems method
B. Undamped free vibrations
1. Period
2. Natural frequency
C. Viscously damped free vibrations
1. Underdamped systems
a. Damped natural frequency and period
b. Logarithmic decrement
2. Critically damped systems
3. Overdamped systems
D. Systems with Coulomb damping
E. Systems with hysteretic damping
III. Harmonic Excitation of SDOF Systems
A. Undamped systems
1. Resonance
2. Beating
B. General solution for viscous damping
1. Magnification factor
2. Phase
C. Frequency squared excitations
1. General theory
2. Rotating unbalanced machinery
3. Vortex shedding from circular cylinders
D. Base motion
E. Vibration isolation
1. Motion isolation
2. Force isolation
F. General periodic excitation
1. Fourier series
2. General response
G. Vibration measuring instruments
1. Seismometers
2. Accelerometers
IV. Transient Vibrations of SDOF Systems
A. Convolution integral
1. Derivation
2. Use
B. Excitations whose form changes with time
C. Laplace transform
1. General method
2. Transfer functions
D. Vibration isolation
1. Response spectrum
2. Short duration pulses
V. Differential Equations Governing MDOF Systems
A. Free-body diagram method
 B. Lagrange’s equations
1. Conservative systems
2. Non-conservative systems
C. Influence coefficients
VI. Free Vibrations of MDOF Systems
A. Normal mode solution
B. Review of matrix algebra
1. Solution of simultaneous equations
2. Eigenvalue problems
C. Natural frequencies and mode shapes
D. General solution
E. Mode shape orthogonality
F. Normalized mode shapes
G. Expansion theorem
H. Proportional Damping
VII. Forced Vibrations of MDOF Systems
A. Harmonic excitation
B. Vibration absorber
C. General solution
1. Modal analysis
2. Convolution integral
3. Proportional damping