208322 Mechanical Vibrations

Lesson 5

1 Equations of Motion 3: Equivalent System Method

In systems in which masses are joined by rigid links, levers, or
gears and in some distributed systems, various springs, dampers, and
masses can be expressed in terms of one coordinate x at a specific point
and the system is simply transformed into a single DOF system.
This method is called the equivalent system method used to
simplify higher DOF problems. We already discussed this method for
systems of rigid bodies in Lesson 2. In this lesson, we present two more
examples of distributed systems.

☻ Example 1: [1] Consider a spring-mass system in equilibrium below.

Assuming that the spring has mass ms per unit length z , use the
equivalent system method to find the equivalent mass of the system and
determine its effect on the natural frequency.
Solution
For the equivalent system, the kinetic energy is

1
Teq = meq x
2 .
y 2
The kinetic energy of the actual system is given by

2
1 z y  m 1
k z T = ∫  x
 s dy + mx
2
dy 2 0z  z 2
1m 
=  s + m  x
2 .
2 3 

ms
Therefore, the equivalent mass is meq = + m, and the natural
m x 3
k
frequency of the system is ωn = .
ms
+m
3

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 208322 Mechanical Vibrations
Lesson 5
☻ Example 2: [1] A simply supported beam has total mass mb . Supposed
3
that the equivalent spring stiffness of the beam is 48 EI / l and the
deflection under the load due to a concentrated force applied at midspan is
 3x x 
3

y = ymax  − 4    , determine the effective mass of the system at

 l  l  
midspan and find its fundamental frequency.

l/2

mb
M

x
Solution
The effective system has kinetic energy
l
1
Teq = meq y
max 2 ,
2

where ymax is the maximum deflection at midspan.

The actual system has kinetic energy

2
1 lm   3x  x   
3
1
T= ∫ b  y
max  − 4     dx + My
max
2

2 0 l   l  l    2
1
= ( 0.4857mb + M ) y
max
2
.
2

Therefore, the equivalent mass is meq = 0.4857 mb + M , and the

48 EI
natural frequency is ωn = .
l ( 0.4857 mb + M )
3

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 208322 Mechanical Vibrations
Lesson 5
2 Equations of Motion 4: Virtual Work Method
The virtual work method is another scalar method besides the work
and energy method. It is useful especially for systems of interconnected
bodies of higher DOF.
The principle of virtual work states that If a system in equilibrium
under the action of a set of forces is given a virtual displacement, the
virtual work done by the forces will be zero.

☻ Example 3: [1] Use the virtual work method, determine the equation of
motion for the system below.

k
Solution
Equilibrium
position Draw the system in the displaced position x and place the forces
acting on it, including inertia and gravity forces. Give the system a small
x virtual displacement δ x and determine the work done by each force.
Using the fact that virtual work done by external forces equals virtual work
m done by inertia forces, we then obtain the equation of motion for the
system.
The virtual work done by inertia forces is
δx
δ W = mx

δ x.

The virtual work done by external forces is

δ W = −kx δ x.

Equating the two quantities above and canceling δ x, we have the

equation of motion

mx

+ kx = 0.

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 208322 Mechanical Vibrations
Lesson 5
☻ Example 4: [1]

p0 f ( t )

l/2 l/2

k c

Solution
Draw the beam in the displaced position θ and place the forces
Ml 2

p0 f ( t ) dx acting on it, including the inertia and damping forces. Give the beam a
θ
3 virtual displacement δθ and determine the work done.
The virtual work done by inertia forces is
θ
 Ml 2


δW =  θ  δθ .
x  3 
δθ
l clθ

k θ The virtual work done by external forces is
2
 l l
δ W = − ( clθ
) l δθ −  k θ  δθ + ∫ x ( p0 f ( t ) dx ) δθ
l

 2 2 0

 l l l2
( )
= − clθ
l δθ −  k θ  δθ + p0 f ( t ) δθ .
 2 2 2

Therefore, we have the equation of motion

 Ml 2 

l2 l2

3
 θ + ( )
cl θ
2

+ k
4
θ = p0
2
f (t ).
 
4 Copyright  2007 by Withit Chatlatanagulchai
 208322 Mechanical Vibrations
Lesson 5
☻ Example 5: [1] Two simple pendulums are connected together with the
bottom mass restricted to vertical motion in a frictionless guide as shown
below. Using the virtual work method, determine the equation of motion.

δθ
θ
l
m1lθ

lδθ sin θ

m1
m1 g
2lδθ sin θ
l m2 a2

m2 m2 g

( lθ
)
2

θ
l lθ

B
lθ


( lθ
)
2
a2
l

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 208322 Mechanical Vibrations
Lesson 5
Solution Lesson 5 Homework Problems
First, we find acceleration of mass m2 by using the relative motion None
analysis with translating axes using the formula
   Homework problems are from the required textbook (Mechanical
aB = a A + aB / A . Vibrations, by Singiresu S. Rao, Prentice Hall, 2004)

Placing point A on the translating axes, the formula above in the

vertical direction becomes
References
( aB ) x = ( aA ) x + ( aB / A ) x [1] Theory of Vibration with Applications, by William T. Thomson and
Marie Dillon Dahleh, Prentice Hall, 1998
lθ
cos θ + lθ

sin θ = a2 − lθ
cos θ − lθ

sin θ
2 2

(
a = 2 lθ
2 cos θ + lθ

sin θ .
2 )
The virtual work done by inertia forces become

( )
δ W = ( m1lθ

) ( lδθ ) + m2 2 ( lθ
2 cos θ + lθ

sin θ ) ( 2lδθ sin θ ) .

The virtual work done by external forces become

δ W = −m2 g ( 2lδθ sin θ ) − m1 g ( lδθ sin θ ) .

Therefore, the equation of motion becomes

((
0 = m1l 2θ

+ m2 2 lθ
2 cos θ + lθ

sin θ ) ) ( 2l sin θ )
+ m2 g ( 2l sin θ ) + m1 g ( l sin θ ) .

If θ is small, sin θ ≈ θ . a2 is small and can be assumed to be

zero. The equation of motion then becomes

 2m2  g
θ

+ 1 +  θ = 0.
 m1  l

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