Ball and Beam Dynamics Classical Approach

by Warren White and Jaspen Patenaude

From kinematics we can write the x and y positions of the CM of the ball. This will allow us to develop equations for the acceleration of the ball that we will use substitute into the force equations later.
X t = r t cos theta t
c

R sin
o

t X t = r t cos
c

R sin
o

t d t dt t

(1)
R cos
o

differentiate w.r.t. t

d dt
differentiate w.r.t. t

X t =
c

d dt rt

cos

r t sin

d t dt t

(2)

d2 Xc t = dt2 r t cos Ro cos

d2 dt2

r t t

cos d dt d2 dt2 t t

t
2

d r t dt t

sin d2 dt2

t t

d dt

t Ro sin t d dt
2

(3) t

r t sin

Y t = r t sin
c

R cos
o

Yc t = r t sin
differentiate w.r.t. t

Ro cos
d t dt t

t
R sin
o

(4)
d t dt t

d dt
differentiate w.r.t. t

Y t =
c

d dt rt

sin

r t cos

(5)

d2 Yc t = dt2 r t sin Ro sin

d2 r t dt2 t t

sin d dt d2 dt2 t t

t
2

d r t dt t

cos d2 dt2

t t

d dt

t Ro cos t d dt
2

(6) t

r t cos

From this point on we will switch from the global XY to the local xy reference frame that is parallel and perpendicular to the beam respectively. To rotate the accelerations and velocities into this ref. frame we need to use the following relationships: x''c = X''c cos y''c = Y''c cos Yc'' sin Xc'' sin

x'c = X'c cos y'c = Y'c cos The resulting simplified accelerations are:
d2 diff diff x t , t , t =
c

Yc' sin Xc' sin

d rt rt dt 2 t

d2 R
o

dt2

dt2

d d2 x t = 2 r t 2 c dt dt
d diff diff y t , t , t = 2
c

r t

d dt

Ro

d2 dt2

(7)

d rt dt t rt

d2 dt2 t R
o

d dt t 2

dt

dt2

yc t = 2

d r t dt

d dt

r t

d dt2

Ro

d dt

(8)

The resulting simplified velocities are:

d diff x t , t =
c

d rt R
o

dt

dt

d d xc t = r t dt dt
diff y t , t = r t
c

Ro

d dt

(9)

d dt t

d y t =r t dt c

d dt

(10)

Now let us consider the free body force diagram of the ball and beam as seen below

We will start by summing the forces in the x and y direction and the moments about point C From Newton's Laws we know that
d2 F =m
x

dt2

x t
c

C diff r t , t

m g sin theta t

= m diff diff x t , t , t
c

Ff
y t dt2 c m g cos theta t
y

d r t dt

m g sin

=m

d xc t dt2

(11)

F =m

d2 N = m diff diff y t , t , t
c

m g cos From Euler

M =J
c

N =m

d2 yc t dt2

(12)

d2

dt2

t diff diff r t , t , t t,t,t R

o

R F =J
o f

diff diff

d2 (13) t dt2 Now we can substitute the the values of (7) and (8) that we calculated earlier into (11) and (12), then solve for the unknowns in terms of r''(t) and ''(t) Ro Ff = Jb
d2 F
f isolate for F[f]

d2 r t dt2 Ro

d rt rt 2 dt t

d2 R
o

C diff r t , t

m g sin

=m

dt2

dt2

Ff = m

d2 r t dt2

r t

d dt

Ro

d2 dt2

d r t dt

m g sin

d m g cos
isolate for N

d rt dt t rt

d2 dt2 t R
o

d dt t

N=m 2

dt

N =m 2

d r t dt

d dt

r t

d dt2

Ro

d dt

m g cos

Substitute N into (13) and simplify to get the 1st governing equation
d2 d2 R
o

d rt 2 rt dt t

d2 R
o

d t 2 C dt 2 rt m g sin t =J
b

d2 dt2 t

dt2

dt2

dt2 R

rt

Ro m

d r t dt2 d dt2 d2 r t dt2

2

r t

d dt d2 r t dt2 Ro

Ro

d dt2

d r t dt

m g sin

(14)

= Jb
move to left

Ro m

r t

d dt

Ro

d2 dt2

d r t dt

m g sin

(15)

Jb
simplify

d2 dt2 d2 dt
2

d2 r t dt2 Ro R2 m r t o Jb Ro d2 dt2

=0
2

1 R2 m o Ro

r t t

d dt t

t Jb

R3 m o d2 r t dt2

d2 dt
2

t =0

R2 C o

d r t dt

(16)

R2 m g sin o

Now lets look at the Euler equation for the beam

Ib diff diff theta t , t , t = r t N R C diff r t , t
o

tau

Ib Substitute for (15) into (19)

d2 d Ib dt2 2 t = rt m 2 dt

d2 dt
rt 2 d

= r t N
d2 t rt dt2

Ro C

d r t dt
d
2

(17)
d m g cos t R C
o

dt

dt

dt 2

rt

Ib

d dt2

= r t t

m 2 Ro C

d r t dt d r t dt d r t dt d r t dt

d dt

r t

d dt2

Ro

d dt

(18)

m g cos
move to left

Ib

d2 dt2

r t t

m 2 Ro C

d dt

t =0

r t

d2 dt2

Ro

d dt

m g cos

Using the fact that the total sum of the moments about the origin has to be equal to zero we get our second governing equation 1
R
o

R2 m
o

d2 dt2 rt t 2 rt

R2 m r t
o

d dt t rt t rt =0

R3 m
o

d2 dt2 d rt dt t d dt

R2 C
o

d dt rt d2

R2 m g sin
o

d2 t d J R
b o 2

dt2

d2 J
b

d2 Ib R C
o

dt2

dt2 d dt

m 2

rt

dt2

dt

m g cos

1 2 Ro m Ro R2 m g sin o

d r t dt2 t

2 Ro m r

t t

d dt

t Jb

3 Ro m

d dt2 Ib

t d2 dt2

Ro C t

d r t dt

(19)

Jb Ro

d2 dt2

d2 r t dt2

r t

m 2 t

d r t dt Ro C
3 Ro m

d dt

r t =0

d2 dt2

Ro

d dt

m g cos
simplify

d r t dt d dt2 t
2

1 Ro

2 Ro m

d r t dt2 d2 r t dt2 Ib d2 dt2 t

t Ro

2 Ro m g

sin

t d r t dt Ro = 0

Jb Ro d dt

d dt2 t

Jb r t
2

d2 dt2

2 r t m Ro t
expand

m Ro

r t m Ro g cos

Ro m Ib

d r t dt2 d2 dt2 t

2 Ro m

d dt2

t d r t dt

Ro m g sin d dt t

Jb mr t
2

d dt2 d2 dt2

Jb t t

d2 r t dt2 Ro r t m g cos t

2r t m

=0

Summary Therefore our equations of motion with Equation 1

7 5 R m
o

2 J
b

m R2
o

d2 dt2 rt R mr t
o

d dt t

7 5

R2 m
o

d2 dt2 t R C
o

d dt rt

R m g sin
o

=0

Equation2
7 5 R m
o

d2 dt2
2

7 rt d2 dt2 t 5

R2 m
o

d2 dt2 t t

R m g sin
o

d2 t Ib dt2 t

2r t m

d dt rt

d dt t

mr t

r t m g cos

=0