COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Ph.D. Preliminary Qualifying Examination

Signature Page
Vibration Examination (Modify)
January 26, 2009 (Monday)--Modify
9:00 am 12:00 noon
Room 2145 Engineering Building
For identification purposes, please fill out the following information in ink. Be sure
to print and sign your name. This cover page is for attendance purposes only, and
will be separated from the rest of the exam before the exam is graded. Write your
student number on all exam pages. Do NOT write your name on any of the other
exam pages besides the cover page.

Name (print in INK)

Signature (in INK)

Student Number (in INK)

Do all your work on provided sheets of paper. If you need extra sheets, please
request them from proctor. When you are finished with the test, return the exam
plus any additional sheets to the proctor.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Ph.D. Preliminary Qualifying Examination

Cover Page

9:00 am 12:00 noon

Room 2145 Engineering Building
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
This examination contains five problems. You are required to select and solve four of
the five problems. Clearly indicate the problems you wish to be graded. If you
attempt solving all of them without indicating which four of your choice, the four
problems with the worst grades will be considered. Note that Problem number
5 is mandatory.
Do all your work on the provided sheets of paper. If you need extra sheets, please
request them from the proctor. When you are finished with the test, return the
exam plus any additional sheets to the proctor.

Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. Preliminary Qualifying Examination

Vibration January 26, 2009
You are required to work four of the five problems, one of which is Problem No. 5. Clearly
indicate which problems you are choosing. Show all work on the exam sheets provided and write
your student personal identification (PID) number on each sheet. Do not write your name on any
sheet.
Your PID number:____________________________

Question #1
A uniform bar of length L and weight W is suspended symmetrically by two
unstrechable strings as shown in the figure. If the bar is given small initial rotation about
the vertical axis,
a. Draw the free body diagram of the bar during its free oscillation.
b. Write down the equation of motion for small angular oscillation about axis O-O.
c. Determine the period of the free oscillation of the bar.

a
O

You are required to work four of the five problems. Clearly indicate which problems you are
choosing. Show all work on the exam sheets provided and write your student personal
identification (PID) number on each sheet. Do not write your name on any sheet.
Your PID number:____________________________

Question #2
The system shown in the figure is in its static equilibrium position (SEP). It consists of a
uniform rod of mass m and length L and is supported by spring of stiffness k and
dashpot of coefficient c .
a. Draw the free body diagram of each system as it oscillates about the SEP.
b. Derive the equation of motion of each system using Newtons second law.
c. Determine the undamped natural frequency.
d. Determine the damping ratio, the critical damping coefficient, and the damped
natural frequency.

You are required to work four of the five problems. Clearly indicate which problems you are
choosing. Show all work on the exam sheets provided and write your student personal
identification (PID) number on each sheet. Do not write your name on any sheet.
Your PID number:____________________________

Question #3
The system shown consists of a cylinder of mass m with a piston, which imparts
resistance proportional to the velocity of a linear viscous damping c , the cylinder is
restrained by a spring of stiffness k
(a) draw the free body diagram of the cylinder,
(b) write down the equation of motion using Newtons second law, and
(c) determine the response amplitude and phase angle using Complex Algebra.

You are required to work four of the five problems. Clearly indicate which problems you are
choosing. Show all work on the exam sheets provided and write your student personal
identification (PID) number on each sheet. Do not write your name on any sheet.
Your PID number:____________________________

Question #4
The system shown below consists of two rotors coupled by a discontinuous shaft of
modulus of rigidity is G 11.5 106 lb / in 2 / rad :
Draw the free-body diagram of each rotor,
Derive the equations of motion,
Determine the natural frequencies of free torsional oscillations and provide the
physical meaning of each value,
Draw the normal mode shape and evaluate the value of the twist at the junction of
the two shafts, i.e. n / 1 or n / 2

MANDATORY PROBLEM (EVERYONE IS REQUIRED TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM)

Your PID number:____________________________

Question #5
Consider a rigid body of mass m and mass moment of inertia Jc with respect to center of gravity
Cg. Suppose that the body is supported by two springs of stiffness k that are attached at distances
2l and l with respect to the center of gravity Cg as shown in Figure 5a. Let m = 10 kg, Jc = 5 kgm2
k = 100 N/m, and l = 1 m.
Part I:
(a) Derive the equations of motion for this body using coordinates x and .
(b) Determine the natural frequencies of the system.
(c) Draw the natural mode shapes of the system.

(5a)

(5b)

Next, consider the same rigid body as shown in Figure 5b.

Part II:
(d) Derive the equations of motion for this body using coordinates x1 and x2.
(e) Determine the natural frequencies of the system.
(f) Draw the natural mode shapes of the system.
Part III:
(g) State if there are differences in the equations of motion, natural frequencies and mode
shapes obtained in each case and explain why.
(h) What are the couplings in equations of motion, respectively, in these two cases?

Problem 1
A uniform bar of length L and weight W is suspended
symmetrically by two strings as shown in the figure. If the bar
is given small initial rotation about the vertical axis,
d. Draw the FBD of the bar during its free oscillation.
e. Write down the equation of motion for small angular
oscillation about axis O-O.
f. Determine the period of the free oscillation of the bar.

a
O

Figure 5.

Solution:
FBD

From the static equilibrium position we write

2T mg
(1)
Under free vibration of the bar and in an arbitrary position , the bar will be raised up
slightly, and will be displaced by a distance (a / 2) from the its suspended string. The
string also be tilted by an angle from the vertical such that, (a / 2) h . This
geometric relation gives (a / 2h) .
Now writing the equation of motion by taking moments about axis OO, gives
a
I 0&
& 2(T sin )( a / 2) Ta Ta

2h
(2)
Using equation (1), equation (2) takes the form
mga 2
mga 2
&
&
&
&
I0
0
0
4h
4I0 h

&
& 2n 0
(3)

mga 2
n

4I0 h
where

mga 2
3ga 2

hL2
L2
m h
12
(4)

Problem 2
FBD

(b) From the free-body diagram, we write the equation of motion from the static
equilibrium position using Newtons second law of moments about the hinge axis O
2
& cL& L ka a mL &
& cL2& ka 2 0
I 0&
(1)
3
(c) The undamped natural frequency is obtained by dividing both sides of the equation of
&, i.e.,
motion (1) by the coefficient of &

2
2
& 3 c & 3 ka 0 3 ka a 3 k
&
n
m
mL2
mL2
L
m
(d) The damping ratio is obtained by writing the equation of motion in the form
& 2 & 2 0
&
n
n

Thus we can write km

2n 3

c
3c

m
2n m

3c
2

a
k
3 m
L
m

3cL
2 3kma

(2)
(3)
(4)

The critical damping coefficient is obtained from (4) as

c
3cL

ccr
2 3kma

ccr

2 3kma
3L

The damped natural frequency, nd , is written in terms of the undamped natural

frequency, n , as
2

nd n

a
k
3cL
a
k
9c 2 L2

1
3
1
L 3 m 1 12kma 2
L
m
2 3kma
2

Problem # 3
Using Newtons second law and with the
help of the FBD, the equation of motion is
& kx c( y& x&)
mx&

(1)

Rearranging
& cx& kx cy&
mx&

(1a)

But y (t ) Y sin t Y Im eit (2)

Also y&(t ) Y cos t iY Im eit (3)
Note that one can write i e

i / 2

because e

i / 2

cos / 2 i sin / 2 i

Thus one can write equation (1a) in the form

& cx& kx icY Im e
mx&

i t

cY Im e

i t
2

(4)

The response must oscillate at the same frequency of the excitation in the steady state at
amplitude and phase angle to be determined, thus one can write the response in the form
x (t ) X Imeit i X Imeit

where X X Ime i

(5)

We need the first and second time derivatives of x (t ) , i.e.

x&(t ) iX Imeit , &
x&(t ) 2 X Imeit

(6)

Substituting expressions (5) and (6) into equation (4), gives

X Ime

it

i 2nX Ime

it

n2 X

Ime

it

2nY Ime

i t
2

(7)

Canceling out Imeit from both sides of equation (7) and rearranging, gives
2 X i 2n X n2 X 2nY Ime

2nY , where Y Y Ime

(8)

Rearranging
X
2n
2
Y
n 2 i 2n

Multiplying and dividing by the conjugate of the denominator, gives

n2 2 i 2n
X
2n
2

Y
n 2 i 2n n2 2 i 2n

(9)

2n

n2

2 2

2n

n2 2 i 2n

(10)

Dividing the numerator and denominator by n2 , and setting r / n , equation (10)

takes the form
X
2 r
1 r 2 i 2 r

2
2
Y
1 r 2 r

Multiplying and dividing each expression by

2
X 2 r 1 r 2 r

2
Y
1 r 2 2 r

1 r

2 2

1 r
1 r 2 r
2

2 2

(11)

2
2 r gives

2 r

1 r

2 2

(12)

2 r

With the help of the shown triangle equation (12)may be written in the form
X

2 r

1 r

2 2

2 r

cos i sin

(13)

Expressing X and Y in terms of their original

Definitions (5) and (8), gives
X Ime i

Y Imei / 2

2 r

1 r

2 2

X Ime i i / 2

Y
X

2 r

2 2

cos i sin

2 r

1 r

2 2

2 r

1 r

2 r

2 r

cos i sin

2 r

1 r

2 2

2 r

IM e i

, and i i / 2 i or / 2 tan 1

, thus

2 r
/ 2
1 r2

Problem 4

Insert a virtual disk at the shaft discontinuity of moment of inertia J n 0 , the

corresponding twist angle is n . The equations of motion of the three degrees of freedom
are
& K ( ) , J &
&
&
&
J1&
1
1 n
1
n n K1 ( n 1 ) K 2 ( 2 n ) 0 , J 2 2 K 2 ( 2 n )
from the second equation we have:

( K1 K 2 ) n K1 1 K 2 0.1536 106 n 0.0941 106 (0.5979) 0.0596 106

2
2
2
n
0.021

Thus
2
1

Problem 5
Solution to Problem 5:
Part I:
The equations of motion can be derived as follows:

F mx

M C J C

mx k x 2l k x l
J 2kl x 2l kl x l
C

which leads to the following matrix equations

m
0

0
J C

x
2k kl

2

kl 5kl

x
0


0

(1)

Assume x X sin t and sin t , and substitute the assumed form solutions into
Eq. (1).

2k m 2

kl

2
2
kl
5kl J C

X 0
,
0

(2)

The natural frequencies can be determined by setting the determinant of Eq. (2) to zero
2k m 2

kl
det
0 , which yields
kl
5kl 2 J C 2

2k m 5kl
2

J C 2 k 2l 2 0

(3)

Equation (3) is the characteristic equation of the system. Substitute JC = 0.5ml2 into (3)
m 2 4 12mk 2 18k 2 0 ,

(4)

Therefore, the natural frequencies are

1

6 3 2 k

m 4.2 (rad/sec)

and 2

6 3 2 k

m 10.1 (rad/sec).

(5)

Substituting the natural frequencies into the homogeneous part of Eq. (2) gives the
natural modes of the system:
X 1
k
1
X 2
k
1

4
.
1

0.1 .
and
1
2
2
2
l
2k m1 4 3 2
l
2 k m 2 4 3 2

1st mode shape

2nd mode shape

(6)

Part II:
The equations of motion can be derived as follows:

F mx

x 2 x
m 1 2 kx1 kx2
3
3
x
x
J C 2 1 2klx1 klx2
3l 3l

J C

which leads to the following matrix equations, after substituting JC = 0.5ml2

m 2m x1 3k
m m x 12k

x1
0

0
x2

3k
6k

(7)

Assume x1 X 1 sin t and x2 X 2 sin t , and substitute the assumed form solutions
into Eq. (1).

3k m 2

3k 2m 2 X 1 0
,

6 k m 2 X 2 0

2
12k m

(8)

The natural frequencies can be determined by setting the determinant of Eq. (8) to zero
3k m 2
3k 2m 2
det
0 , which yields
2
6k m 2
12k m

3k m 6k m 3k 2m 12k m 0
2

(9)

Equation (9) can be simplified to

m 2 4 12mk 2 18k 2 0 ,

(10)

Therefore the natural frequencies remain the same as before. However, the natural modes
of the system:

X 1 1 3k 2m12 3 2 6 3 2
X 1 2 3k 2m22 3 2 6 3 2

0.4 and 2

2.4 .
X 2 1 3k m12
X2
3k m22
3 63 2
3 63 2
(11)

1st mode shape

2nd mode shape

Part III: Natural frequencies remain the same, but equations of motion and mode shapes
are different. The first case is static coupling and the second is both dynamic and static
coupling.