Laboratory 2: Vibration of a 2 Degrees

of Freedom System
1. Aim
The aim of the experiment is to determine the natural frequencies of a beam

mounted on two springs, which may be considered as a system with two degrees

of freedom.

2. Experimental Setup
The equipment to be used to carry out this experiment is shown in the diagram

below.
 oleObject1

3. Experimental Procedure
For a range of frequencies (6 to 15 Hz with the step 1/2 Hz), which span the

natural frequencies of the system measure using the CRO:

A1, A2, A3 and F0 - amplitudes of system response in points 1, 2, and 3, and

amplitude of input force respectively; Plot frequency response function for three

points. Determine the 2 natural frequencies.

4. Theory
The experiment system is under the undamped forced vibration due to harmonic

excitation. The system reprensents a 2-DOF undamped force vibration. Therefore

it has two natural frequencies. For each of the natural frequencies, there

corresponds a natural state of vibration with a displacement configuration known

as the normal mode. For the first mode, ω1, the system is largely vertical

translation with very small rotation, whereas the second modeω2, the system is

mostly rotation. This suggests that we could make a rough approximation for

these modes as two 1-DOF systems. ω1≅total vertical stiffness/traslational

mass

ω2≅rotational stiffness/ rotational moment of inertia

We take three points on the beam: one point is at each end (1, 3 respectively) and

another point is at the centre of the beam (point 2). The results of point 1 and 3

should be very similar due to similarity. Owing to point 2 is at the mass center,

when the measured amplitude of point 2 is approaching zero with increasing force

frequency but amplitudes of point 1 and 3 reaches their second peak, it indicates

that the system is almost rotation. The frequencies of applied force corresponding
to the two peak values of A1/F0 or A2/ F0 are approximately equal the two natural

frequencies of the system.

5. Calculation
Original Data:

f A1 A2 A3 F0

6 1.0756 0.4243 1.0993 1.7199

6.5 1.0436 0.45 0.5412 1.0725

7 1.3636 0.58 0.7109 0.7315

7.5 1.382 0.6488 0.5145 0.5265

8 1.3452 0.7128 0.6915 0.3703

8.5 1.2632 0.7802 0.9854 0.2615

 9 2.0816 2.3776 3.2708 1.167

9.5 0.7555 1.2337 2.6026 1.0418

10 0.9941 1.4509 3.394 1.1415

10.5 1.4582 1.0571 2.7117 0.9978

11 2.1376 0.8767 3.8018 0.7781

11.5 1.899 0.5101 1.945 0.4579

12 2.7641 0.337 2.2544 0.3165

12.5 2.3766 0.1746 2.5958 0.2335

13 1.7132 0.29 1.7021 0.3375

 13.5 1.1207 0.3196 1.2691 0.3656

14 1.1372 0.2541 1.4587 0.3401

f A1/F0 f A2/F0 f A3/F0

6 0.6253 6 0.2467 6 0.6391

85 65

6.5 0.9730 6.5 0.4195 6.5 0.5046

54 8 15

7 1.8641 7 0.7928 7 0.9718

15 91 39

7.5 2.6248 7.5 1.2322 7.5 0.9772

 81 89 08

8 3.6327 8 1.9249 8 1.8674

3 26 05

8.5 4.8305 8.5 2.9835 8.5 3.7682

93 56 6

9 1.7837 9 2.0373 9 2.8027

19 61 42

9.5 0.7251 9.5 1.1842 9.5 2.4981

87 76

10 0.8708 10 1.2710 10 2.9732

72 47 81

10.5 1.4614 10.5 1.0594 10.5 2.7176

 15 31 79

11 2.7472 11 1.1267 11 4.8860

05 19 04

11.5 4.1471 11.5 1.1139 11.5 4.2476

94 99 52

12 8.7333 12 1.0647 12 7.1229

33 71 07

12.5 10.178 12.5 0.7477 12.5 11.116

16 52 92

13 5.0761 13 0.8592 13 5.0432

48 59 59

13.5 3.0653 13.5 0.8741 13.5 3.4712

 72 79 8

14 3.3437 14 0.7471 14 4.2890

22 33 33

Plotting Graph

From the three plotting graph, we could find the value of first natural

frequency which corresponds the first peak for all graphs. ω1≈8.5 Hz;

As the frequency of force keeps increase, the ratio of amplitude of system

response to amplitude of applied force at point 2 is approaching its lowest

value, whereas the ratios for point 1 and 3 is approaching their second peak.

ω2≈12.5 Hz
6. Discussion
Accuracy: 1. The experiment was carrying with a step of 1/2Hz

which is rather big so the value of natural frequency we obtained

is approximations.

Significance: 1.Before the CRO is freezed for data reading, the

table on which the beam is should be isolated without any

disturbance, and otherwise it could have an impact on the result

of the response of the system.

2. The CRO data screen should not be freezed until the oscillation

of system becomes steady.

Abnormalities: The graphs are plotted based on raw data, but

we found the wave of point 2 graph and point 3graph is not very

smooth along its tendency. This could be the result of careless

data reading.

Assumption: We assume the mass center of the beam is

coinciding with its geometric center, i.e. the midpoint of its

length.

Source of errors:

1. The CRO wasn’t freezed after the oscillation of the system

become steady.
 2. Before CRO screen is freezed, there is disturbance made by

surrounding students who keep writing on the table.

3. When a student is reading the data on CRO screen, he/she

may didn’t zoom the displaying graph out enough, so that the

amplitudes of the graphs were not measured exactly.

7. Conclusions
The aim of this experiment is successfully found, that is the two natural

frequencies of the system. They are estimated as the frequencies of the

applied force corresponding two peak values of system response at free end.

From this experiment, I find that N-DOF system has N numbers of natural

frequency. In Two degree of freedom system for a rigid beam supported by

two springs, the natural frequencies are translational and rotational

frequencies, respectively.

8. Reflection
1) Isolate the system. In order to minimize the outside disturbances like

students writing on that table during experiment process, which would

have an impact on measurement results displaying on the CRO screen, we

can isolate the system with glass of low height around the table.

2) Narrowing the step of frequency we increase. The smaller the step size,

the more accurate and smoother the plotted graphs will be.
3) When take the measurement of system response and the amplitude of

input force, we had better zoom out the wave graph big enough to make

sure that the data we reading is pointed exactly at wave amplitude.