KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LAB 3 (ME 395)

REPORT ON THE BIFILAR AND TRIFILAR SUSPENSION

 ABSTRACT
T h e o b j e c t i v e o f t h i s B i f i l a r a n d Tr i f i l i a r S u s p e n s i o n e x p e r i m e n t i s t o
a c q u i r e t h e v a l u e o f moment of inertia of a steel connecting rod and cylindrical plate
platform. Bifilar and Trifilar Suspension results accuracy is determined by comparing them to the
theoretical value a n d t o o b s e r v e h o w d i ff e r e n t l e n g t h s o f t h r e a d s u s e d i n t h e s y s t e m
c a n a ff e c t t h e period of oscillation of the steel connecting rod and the cylindrical plate of bothj the
bifilar and the trifilar. Theoretically! the finding suggests that the period of oscillation increases as the
length of the thread increases therefore both factors are proportional to each other. The period of oscillation
as acquired using a stopwatch by observing the oscillation of the steel connecting rod and the
cylindrical plate. This is used to generate the moment of inertia of the steel connecting rod
and the cylindrical plate by applying appropriate derived formulas. Through t h e c a l c u l a t i o n , i t
i s a g r e e d t h a t t h e p e r i o d o f o s c i l l a t i o n i s l i n e a r l y proportional to the moment of
inertia of the steel connecting rod and cylindrical plate there after showing that the longer of period of
oscillation, the higher the moment of inertia of the steel connecting rod and the cylindrical plate.
Theoretical values and experimental values are compared accordingly and
corresponded to each other.
 INTRODUCTION
The Mass Moment of Inertia of a solid measures the solid's ability to resist changes in rotational
speed about a specific axis, the larger the Mass Moment of Inertia the smaller the angular
acceleration about that axis for a given torque. The mass moment of inertia depends on a reference
axis, and is usually specified with two subscripts. This helps to provide clarity during three-
dimensional motion where rotation can occur about multiple axes.
The actual bifilar and trifilar suspension is an assembly that is used to determine the moment of
inertia of a body about an axis passing through the body’s mass centre, perpendicular to the plane of
motion. The mass moment of inertia plays the role of mass in rotational dynamics

OBJECTIVE:
To determine the moment of inertia of a connection rod,
Using a bifilar suspension and trifilar suspension.

APPARATUS:
1. Connecting rod,
2. stopwatch,
3. support frame,
4. Trifilar suspension table.

SET-UP DIAGRAM

BIFILAR SUSPENSION

d
thread

rod
TRIFILAR SUSPENSION
 THEORY: CASE 1 (BIFILAR SUSPENSION)
 For small angular displacement of the system about a central vertical axis,
considering the left wire we have,
LΦ = aθ
Φ = aθ
L
Where “L “ is the length of the wire, “a” is the distance of the left wire from the centre of
gravity.
Tension in left wire, T1= mgb
a+b
Component of T1 perpendicular to rod = mgb sin Φ, for small angles
a+b sin Φ = Φ
= mgab Φ
L (a+b)
Restoring couple due to T1 on this wire o = -mga2 bθ
L (a+b )
2
Similarly restoring couple on the wire = -mgab θ
L (a+b )
Total restoring couple = mgabθ (a+b)
L (a+b)
= -mgabθ
L

But Torque = L = Ld2 θ

dt2
2
==== d θ = -mgab θ
dt2 IL

Also, d2θ = - w2 θ, for a S.H.M

W2 = mgab
IL

W = √ mgab
IL

Moment of inertia, ‘I’, of the rod about the centre of gravity is given by

I = mk2. Where ‘k’ is the radius of gyration?

W = abg T = 2 ‫ √ ח‬Lk2
Lk2 abg
 CASE 2 TRIFILAR SUSPENSIONS

Let the platform be displaced through a small angle ‘θ’ and let the corresponding
angular displacement of the wires be ‘Φ’

Then I Φ = r θ

Φ=r Φ
I
Tension in each wire = mg
3

Component of tension perpendicular to r

= mgµ sin Φ
3

mg Φ
3
For small angles, sin Φ

Component perpendicular to = mgrθ

3L
mgr2θ = Iα
L
Where α = -w2 θ

W2 = mgr2
IL
W = √ mgr2
IL
I, Total moment of inertia of the rod and the suspension

T=2п √ IL
mgr2
 PROCEDURE:

1. The position of ‘G’ was determined by weighing the connecting rod on two spring balance suitably
suspended.
2. The connecting rod was then suspended from two cords and the bifilar suspension part of the test was
carried out by setting the rod swinging taking care to disturbing centre of mass as little possible.
3. ‘20’ swings were counted and recorded within time ‘t’.
4. The procedure was repeated for several times and an average figure for the period was obtained.
5. Using the trifilar suspension, the mass, the moment of inertia and the radius of gyration of the table was
determined.
6. Then the connecting rod was placed on the table
in a position that its centre of mass coincide with the centre of the table and the combined moment of
inertia of the table and the rod .
7. Twenty numbers of swings were used and the average readings as in the case of the bifilar
suspension were tabled.

RESULTS 1(BIFILAR SUSPENSION)

BIFILAR SUSPENSION
Mass of connecting rod=0.714kg
a=10.1cm=0.101m
b=13.3cm=0.133m

L/cm t/s τ= t/20 (s) T2/s2 K

(I)
100 37.36 1.87 3.50 0.109 8.483

95 37.39 1.87 3.50 0.112 8.956

90 37.45 1.87 3.50 0.115 9.443

85 37.58 1.88 3.53 0.118 9.942

80 38.07 1.90 3.61 0.112 8.956

 GRAPH

CALCULATIONS

A graph of ‘T2’ against ‘L’ is a straight line with

Slope = 4п2k2
abg
Passing through the origin.

Therefore, the radius of gyration, k2 = abg(slope)

4п2
2
k = 0.101x0.133x9.81x0.006
4п2

k2=2.0027
k=√2.0027
k=4.475

Also the moment of the rod, I=mk2

I=mabg (slope)
4п2

I = 0.101x0.133x9.81x0.006
4п2
I=2.383
 RESULT 2(TRIFILAR SUSPENSION)

L/cm t1/s T= t/20 (s) T2/s2 K

(I)
100 37.36 1.87 3.50 0.109 8.483

95 37.39 1.87 3.50 0.112 8.956

90 37.45 1.87 3.50 0.115 9.443

85 37.58 1.88 3.53 0.118 9.942

80 38.07 1.90 3.61 0.112 8.956

GRAPH
L/cm τ= t/20 (s) T2/s2
t2/s(bed with) K
weight) (I)
100 37.25 1.86 3.46 0.109 8.483

95 36.40 1.82 3.31 0.112 8.956

90 35.36 1.77 3.13 0.115 9.443

85 32.92 1.65 2.72 0.118 9.942

80 32.91 1.65 2.72 0.112 8.956

GRAPH
Precautions refer to actions that can be taken by students to minimize effect on the result of
experiment.

Avoid parallax error by placing eyes at measured level.

Switch off the fan in the lab so that wind will not affect the result.

Ensure that the ruler has stopped moving before taking length measurement.

Measurement taken from the rule and the weight balance was done such that the line of sight and the
markings of the measuring equipments were in alignment in to reduce errors due to parallax.

When taking down the time for the oscillations at various distances ‘x’ and a fixed length ‘L’ for table
3 data, the length L was periodically checked after each test to maintain the fixed length value of 0.4m

Precautionary methods were in place to keep the masses at a very comfortable position to avoid slip or
fall which could in-turn cause harm to our feet.

The experiment is done such that the oscillation was not dampened by carefully tilting the bar before
release for oscillations

Discussion
In this experiment two different sets of readings where gathered and recorded. Both the bar
and the rod where tested by the trifilar method. However, the rod was placed under one more
test, the knife edge, results for these experiments can be seen on table one.

We also noticed that there was a great difference in our results, that is the ones obtained
experimentally differed from the theoretical ones by about 0. 015.For instance the result that
was gotten by the trifilar method for the rod was not similar to the knife edge method, in
addition theoretical values where lower that experimental values.

The discrepancy in the results could be in the swinging method, as the person holding the
platform in the
 CONCLUSIONS
OBSERVATION(S):

1. The periodic time significantly increased when the length of the wires also
go increased.

2. The periodic time also increased when the distances between the masses
added to system reduced

3. The moment of inertia determined using the analytical approach was

approximately equal to the value determined from test 2 in table 2
above.

4. The moment of inertia determined from the graph representation was

greater than the value gotten from the analytical approach indicating that
the two masses added during the experiment had a part to play in the
increment of the moment of inertia and also unavoidable human errors
caused a variation in their values.

5. The radius of gyration and moment of inertia reduced after the length of
wire was increased from test 1 to test 2 but increased right after till test 4.

FINAL DEDUCTIONS:

The bifilar suspension technique offers the opportunity to determine

the radius of gyration of a body by relating the readings gotten from the
procedure in the techniques and relating that into the equation of angular
and this invariably provides the determination of the moment of inertia for
the same body. These readings encompasses the distance between the
wires used for the suspension, the length of the wires, the time for the
required number of oscillations, the distance between the masses
introduced into the experiment, and so on. All these and lots more provide
the avenue for determining the radius of gyration and the moment of
inertia

Below is a tabular representation of the final value of the moment of

inertia determined from the analytical approach, the graphical approach
and a selected value of the moment of inertia from test 2 in table 2.

Methodology Moment of inertia

values
Analytical approach 0.01068 kg m2
Value from test 2 in 0.01067 kg m2
table 2
Graphical approach 0.02210 kg m2