South Valley University

Faculty of Engineering
Mechanical Department

Mechanical Vibrations
3rd year 2014 / 2015
Mid-Term Exam, Time: 2 Hours

Answer Two Questions Only.

Question One:
1. Explain with sketch the main steps of Vibration Analysis.
2. Distinguish between transient, steady-state, and total solutions.
3. An automobile moving over a rough road can be modeled considering (a) weight of the car body,
passengers, seats, front wheels, and rear wheels; (b) elasticity of tires (suspension), main springs, and
seats; and (c) damping of the seats, shock absorbers, and tires. Develop three mathematical models of
the system using a gradual refinement in the modeling process.
4. Find the natural frequency of the system shown in Fig. with and
without the springs k1 and k2 in the middle of the elastic beam.
5. A spring-mass system has a natural frequency of 10 Hz. When the
spring constant is reduced by 800 N/m, the frequency is altered by 45
percent. Find the mass and spring constant of the original system.
Question Two:
1. Explain simple Harmonic Motion, degree of freedom and magnification
factor.
2. Write short notes on: free vibration, forced vibration, logarithmic
decrement, damping and resonance.
3. Derive the expression for the equivalent spring constant that relates the
applied force F to the resulting displacement x of the system shown in Fig.
2. Assume the displacement of the link to be small.
4. The maximum velocity attained by the mass of a simple harmonic
oscillator is 10 cm/s, and the period of oscillation is 2 s. If the mass is
released with an initial displacement of 2 cm, find (a) the amplitude, (b)
the initial velocity, (c) the maximum acceleration, and (d) the phase angle.
5. The ratio of successive amplitudes of a viscously damped single-degree-of-freedom system is found to
be 18:1. Determine the ratio of successive amplitudes if the amount of damping is (a) doubled, and (b)
halved.
Question Three:
1. Classify different types of damping?
2. Figure shows a simple model of a motor vehicle that can vibrate
in the vertical direction while traveling over a rough road. The
vehicle has a mass of 1200 kg. The suspension system has a
spring constant of 400 kN/m and a damping ratio of = 0.5. If the
vehicle speed is 20 km/hr, determine the displacement amplitude
of the vehicle. The road surface varies sinusoidally with an
amplitude of Y = 0.05 m and a wavelength of 6 m.
3. A slider-crank mechanism is used to impart motion to the base of a spring-mass-damper system, as
shown in Fig.. Approximating the base motion y(t) as a series of harmonic functions, find the response
of the mass for r = 10 cm, l = 1 m, and = 100 rad/s. m = 1 kg, c = 10 N-s/m, k = 100 N/m.

With my best wishes

Dr. Nouby M. Ghazaly