MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS (ME 417)

2016-17
TUTORIAL SHEET
UNIT I
1. Develop a mathematical model for the tractor and plow shown in Fig. 1 by considering
the mass, elasticity, and damping of the tires, shock absorbers, and plows (blades).

2. Determine the equivalent spring constant of the system shown in Fig. 2.

3. In Fig. 3 find the equivalent mass of the rocker arm assembly with respect to the x
coordinate.
4. The impact force created by a forging hammer can be modeled as shown in Fig. 4.
Determine the Fourier series expansion of the impact force.
5. Find the natural frequency of the pulley system shown in Fig. 5 by neglecting the friction
and the masses of the pulleys.
6. Figure 6 shows a metal block supported on two identical cylindrical rollers rotating in
opposite directions at the same angular speed. When the center of gravity of the block is
initially displaced by a distance x, the block will be set into simple harmonic motion. If
the frequency of motion of the block is found to be n determine the coefficient of
friction between the block and the rollers.
If two identical springs of stiffness k each are further attached to the metal block as shown
in Fig. 7, determine the coefficient of friction between the block and the rollers.
7. A pulley 250 mm in diameter drives a second pulley 1,000 mm in diameter by means of
a belt (see Fig. 8). The moment of inertia of the driven pulley is 0.2 kg-m2. The belt
connecting these pulleys is represented by two springs, each of stiffness k. For what value
of k will the natural frequency be 6 Hz?
8. A uniform slender rod of mass m and length l is hinged at point A and is attached to four
linear springs and one torsional spring, as shown in Fig. 9. Find the natural frequency of
the system if k = 2000 N/m, kt = 1000 N-m/rad and l = 5 m.
9. A cylinder of mass m and mass moment of inertia Jo is free to roll without slipping but is
restrained by two springs of stiffnesses k1 and k2 and as shown in Fig. 10. Find its natural
frequency of vibration. Also find the value of a that maximizes the natural frequency of
vibration.
10. Find the equation of motion of the uniform rigid bar OA of length l and mass m shown
in Fig. 11. Also find its natural frequency.
11. A shock absorber is to be designed to limit its overshoot to 15 percent of its initial
displacement when released. Find the damping ratio o required. What will be the
overshoot if is made equal to (a) 3/4 o and (b) 5/4 o.
12. A railroad car of mass 2,000 kg traveling at a velocity v = 10 m/s is stopped at the end of
the tracks by a spring-damper system, as shown in Fig. 12. If the stiffness of the spring
is k = 80 N/mm and the damping constant is c = 20 N-sec/mm, determine (a) the
maximum displacement of the car after engaging the springs and damper and (b) the time
taken to reach the maximum displacement.
13. A viscously damped system has a stiffness of 5,000 N/m, critical damping constant of
0.2 Ns/mm, and a logarithmic decrement of 2.0. If the system is given an initial velocity
of 1 m/s, determine the maximum displacement of the system.
14. The system shown in Fig. 13 has a natural frequency of 5 Hz for the following data:
m = 10 kg, J0 = 5 kg-m2, r1= 10 cm, r2= 25 cm.
When the system is disturbed by giving it an initial displacement, the amplitude of free
vibration is reduced by 80 percent in 10 cycles. Determine the values of k and c.
15. A spring-mass system is found to vibrate with a frequency of 120 cycles per minute in
air and 100 cycles per minute in a liquid. Find the spring constant k, the damping constant
c, and the damping ratio when vibrating in the liquid. Assume m = 10 kg.
16. Find the responses of systems governed by the following equations of motion for the
initial conditions x(0) = 1, 𝑥̇ (0) = -1:
a. 2𝑥̈ + 8𝑥̇ + 16𝑥 = 0
b. 3𝑥̈ + 12𝑥̇ + 9𝑥 = 0
c. 2𝑥̈ + 8𝑥̇ + 8𝑥 = 0

17. Find the equivalent spring constant of the system shown in Fig. 14 in the direction of the
load P.

18. In the Charpy impact test a specimen is struck and broken by a pendulum (or hammer)
and the energy absorbed in breaking the specimen is measured. This energy values serve
is used for comparing the impact strengths of different materials. As shown in Fig. 15,
the pendulum is suspended from a shaft, and is released from a particular position, and
is allowed to fall and break the specimen. If the pendulum is made to oscillate freely
(with no specimen), find (a) an expression for the decrease in the angle of swing for each
cycle caused by friction, (b) the solution for (t)if the pendulum is released from an
 angle 0, and (c) the number of cycles after which the motion ceases. Assume the mass

of the pendulum is m and the coefficient of friction between the shaft and the bearing of
the pendulum is 

 Pipe cutting mechanism in a continuous production process consists of a large disc of
radius R and mass M which can oscillate around its centre O. At the end of a light rod of
length length L, a motor of mass m is attached with a cutting wheel (Fig. 16). The system
can oscillate on the plane of the disc about the point O. Determine the time period of
oscillations of the system for small angles. Also determine the maximum angular velocity

20. Figures 17 (a), (b) and (c) shows the same vibratory system in three different orientations.
Establish the governing equations of motion and obtain the natural frequency in each
case.

21. A body of mass M = 1 kg, lies on a dry horizontal plane and is connected by spring to a
rigid support. The body is displaced from the unstressed position by an amount equal to
0.255 m with the tension in the spring at this displacement equal to 49 N and then released
with zero velocity. How long will the body vibrate and at what distance from the
unstressed position will it stop if the coefficient of friction is 0.25?
Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 4

Fig. 3

Fig. 5

Fig. 6 Fig. 7
 Fig. 9
Fig. 8

Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Fig. 12
Fig. 13 Fig. 14

Fig. 15 Fig. 16

Fig. 17