208322 Mechanical Vibrations

Lesson 9
If δ ( t − ξ ) is multiplied by any force function F ( t ) , the product
1 Impulse Excitation will be zero everywhere except at t = ξ , and its time integral will be
Impulse is the time integral of the force
∞

Fˆ = ∫ F dt. ∫ δ ( t − ξ ) F ( t ) dt = F (ξ ) .
0

Impulsive force is a force of very large magnitude that acts for a 1.1 Undamped System
very short time and with finite time integral (finite impulse.) Figure 1 Consider an undamped one-DOF system. The system has a mass
shows an impulsive force with small ε . Its impulse is finite and is equal to and a spring. Since impulse excitation is only applied over a very short
Fˆ . period of time, we can treat the system as in the free vibration case, where
initial velocity can be found from the impulse excitation.
F If the mass is at rest before the impulse is applied ( x = x
= 0 for
t < 0 or at t = 0− ), we obtain, from the impulse-momentum relation,

Fˆ = mx
( t =0) − mx
t =0 = mx
(t =0) .

( ) −

F̂
ε Under free vibration, we have the solution

x
( 0 )
x (t ) = sin ωnt + x ( 0 ) cos ωnt.
t ωn
ξ ε
If the system is initially at rest, we have x ( 0 ) = 0 or

Figure 1: An impulsive force.

x
( 0 )
x (t ) = sin ωnt
Delta function is a function that has the following properties: ωn

0 , for all t ≠ ξ Fˆ
δ (t − ξ ) =  , = sin ωnt
mωn
+∞ , for t = ξ
∞ = Fˆ h ( t ) ,
∫ δ ( t − ξ ) dt = 1.
0

where
If the delta function is the force, its impulse is equal to 1 and is called unit
impulse.

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 208322 Mechanical Vibrations
Lesson 9
1 F (ξ ) ∆ξ h ( t − ξ ) ,
h (t ) = sin ωnt
mωn
F (t )
is the response to a unit impulse.

1.2 Damped System

Under free vibration, when damping is present, we have the
solution

x
( 0 ) e −ζω tn t
x (t ) = sin 1 − ζ 2 ωnt ξ ∆ξ
ωn 1 − ζ 2 (a)
− ζωn t x (t )
Fˆ e
= sin 1 − ζ 2 ωnt
mωn 1 − ζ 2

= Fˆ h ( t ) ,
F (ξ ) ∆ξ h ( t − ξ )
where
t
e−ζω t n
ξ
h (t ) = sin 1 − ζ 2 ωnt ∆ξ
mωn 1 − ζ 2
(b)

is the response to a unit impulse. Figure 2: Arbitrary excitation as a series of

2 Arbitrary Excitation
Suppose the system is subject to an arbitrary excitation F ( t ) as in
Figure 2(a). F ( t ) can be viewed as a series of impulses. Consider an
impulse at time t = ξ , we have
impulses.
where h ( t − ξ ) is the unit impulse response started at t = ξ . Because the
system we are considering is linear, the principle of superposition holds.
Thus, by combining all such contributions, the response to the arbitrary
excitation F ( t ) is represented by the convolution integral

Fˆ = F (ξ ) ∆ξ . x ( t ) = ∫0 F (ξ ) h ( t − ξ ) dξ .
t
(1)

The response of this impulse is given in Figure 2(b) as

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 208322 Mechanical Vibrations
Lesson 9
♠ Example 1 [1]: Determine the response of a single-DOF system to the
step excitation shown in Figure 3.

F (t )

F0

Solution
For the undamped system, we have

t 1
h (t ) = sin ωnt.
mωn
Figure 3: Step excitation.
Since F ( t ) = F0 , equation (1) becomes

F0
x ( t ) = ∫0 sin ωn ( t − ξ ) dξ
t

mωn
ξ =t
F 1
= 0
mωn −ωn
( − cos ωn ( t − ξ ) )
ξ =0

F0 F0 1
= − ( − cos ωnt )
mωn2 mωn −ωn
F0
= (1 − cos ωnt ) .
k
For the damped system, the procedure above can be repeated with

e−ζω t n

h (t ) = sin 1 − ζ 2 ωnt .
mωn 1 − ζ 2

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 208322 Mechanical Vibrations
Lesson 9
2.1 Base Excitation ♠ Example 2 [1]: Find the relative response of an undamped system
subject to the motion of its base
If the system is subject to an arbitrary base excitation. The
equation of motion can be expressed in terms of the relative motion of the
mass and the base z = x − y as was done in Lesson 6. The result is an y
( t ) = v0e − t / t u ( t ) ,
0

equation of motion
where u ( t ) is a unit step function.
mz

+ cz
+ kz = − my

.

This equation is similar to the equation

mx

+ cx
+ kx = F .
With the variable x replaced by z and the term F replaced by − my

,
similar derivation to the previous section can be done to obtain the
response

z ( t ) = ∫0 −my

(ξ ) h ( t − ξ ) d ξ
t

Solution
− ζωn ( t −ξ ) Using the fact that derivative of the unit step function is the delta
e
= ∫0 −my

(ξ ) sin 1 − ζ 2 ωn ( t − ξ ) dξ
t
function
mωn 1 − ζ 2

1 du ( t )
∫0

y (ξ ) e
− ζω ( t −ξ )
sin ωd ( t − ξ ) d ξ . = δ (t ) ,
t
=− n

ωd dt

Similarly, for the undamped case, we have we have

v0 − t / t
z (t ) = −
1 y = v0e − t / t δ ( t ) − e u (t ).
∫0

y (ξ ) sin ωn ( t − ξ ) dξ .
t
(2)


0 0

ωn t0

Substituting the quantity above into (2) to get the answer

v0t0
z (t ) =
1 + ( ω n t0 )
2 (e − t / t0
− ωnt0 sin ωnt − cos ωnt ) .

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 208322 Mechanical Vibrations
Lesson 9
3 Laplace Transform Formulation F (s) x (s)
We have seen that convolution integral is one method to find the H (s)
response of a system under a nonperiodic excitation (arbitrary excitation.)
Another method is to use Laplace transformation, which is studied in this
Figure 4: Transfer function block diagram.
section.
The equation of motion of the system excited by an arbitrary force
♠ Example 3 [1]: (Drop Test) Drop test is the test for how far a system
F ( t ) is can be dropped without incurring damage. Its applications can be found in,
for example, the landing of airplanes or the cushioning of packages.
mx

+ cx
+ kx = F ( t ) . Suppose a spring-mass system of Figure 5 is dropped from a height
h . x is measured at t = 0 when the spring first contacts the floor. Find
Taking the Laplace transform, we have the maximum acceleration of the mass m in terms of gravity.

m  s 2 x ( s ) − x ( 0 ) s − x
( 0 )  + c  sx ( s ) − x ( 0 )  + kx ( s ) = F ( s ) . x
m
Solving for x ( s ) , we obtain the subsidiary equation

F (s) ( ms + c ) x ( 0 ) + mx
( 0 ) .
x (s) = + (3) k
ms 2 + cs + k ms 2 + cs + k

The response x ( t ) is found from the inverse Laplace transform of (3). The
first term represents the forced vibration and the second term represents
the transient solution due to the initial conditions. Figure 5: Drop test.
If the initial conditions x ( 0 ) = x
( 0 ) = 0, we have

F (s)
x (s) =
ms + cs + k
2
Solution
= H (s) F (s), The equation of motion is

mx

+ kx = mg .
1
where H ( s ) = represents system transfer function. Figure 4
ms + cs + k
2
With the initial conditions x ( 0 ) = 0 and x
( 0 ) = 2 gh and c = 0,
shows the block diagram.
equation (3) becomes

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 208322 Mechanical Vibrations
Lesson 9
F (s) ( ms + c ) x ( 0 ) + mx
( 0 ) . mg g
x (s) = + Let δ st = = 2 be the static deflection. Because maximum
ms 2 + cs + k ms 2 + cs + k k ωn
( mg / s ) + m 2 gh x ( t ) occurs when sin (ωnt − φ ) = 1, we have



=
ms 2 + k ms 2 + k
xmax


2h
g 2 gh =− + 1.
= + 2 . δ st
s ( s + ωn ) s + ωn2
2 2 g

♠
From the Laplace transform table, we see that
 1  1  1  1
L  =
 s ( s2 + a2 )  a2
(1 − cos at ) and L  2 2 
= sin at. Lesson 9 Homework Problems
   s + a  a
None.

Therefore, the inverse Laplace transform of x ( s ) becomes Homework problems are from the required textbook (Mechanical
Vibrations, by Singiresu S. Rao, Prentice Hall, 2004)
g 2 gh
x (t ) = 2 (
1 − cos ωnt ) + sin ωnt
ωn ωn
2 References
2 gh  g  g
= +  2  sin (ωnt − φ ) + 2 . [1] Theory of Vibration with Applications, by William T. Thomson and
ωn  ωn 
2
ωn Marie Dillon Dahleh, Prentice Hall, 1998.
[2] Mechanical Vibrations, by Singiresu S. Rao, Prentice Hall, 2004.
The velocity and acceleration are given by

2
2 gh  g 
x
( t ) = ωn +   cos (ωnt − φ ) ,
ωn2  ωn2 
2
2 gh  g 
x ( t ) = −ω


2
+   sin (ωnt − φ ) .
n
ωn2  ωn2 

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