Free vibration of One Degree of Freedom Systems

Free vibration of a system is vibration due to its own internal forces

(free of external impressive forces). It is initiated by an initial
deviation (an energy input) of the system from its static equilibrium
position. Once the initial deviation (a displacement or a velocity or
both) is suddenly withdrawn, the strain energy stored in the system
forces the system to return to its original, static equilibrium
configuration. Due to the inertia of the system, the system will not
return to the equilibrium configuration in a straightforward way.
Instead it will oscillate about this position free vibration.
A system experiencing free vibration oscillates at one or more of its
natural frequencies, which are properties of its mass and stiffness
distribution. If there is no damping (an undamped system), the
system vibrates at the (undamped) frequency (frequencies) forever.
Otherwise, it vibrates at the (damped) frequency (frequencies) and
dies out gradually. When damping is not large, as in most cases in
engineering, undamped and damped frequencies are very close.
Therefore usually no distinction is made between the two types of
frequencies.
The number of natural frequencies of a system equals to the number
of its degrees-of-freedom. Normally, the low frequencies are more
important.
Damping always exists in materials. This damping is called material
damping, which is always positive (dissipating energy). However,
air flow, friction and others may present negative damping.
1

Undamped Free Vibration

Equation of motion based on the free-body diagram
k

mx kx

mx kx 0

m
x

x n2 x 0

k
m

a mass-spring system

natural frequency
2

x (t ) A sin n t B cos n t

m
k

period

A and B are determined by the initial

conditions.
Sin or Cos ?

? n ?
x (0) ? x (0) ?

x(t )

x (0)
sin n t x (0) cos n t
n

x (0)

[ x (0)]2 sin(n t )

x(0)n

x (0)

where

arctan

Vibration of a pendulum
How to establish the equation of motion?
2

What is its natural frequency?

l
m

ml 2 mgl sin

l g sin 0

l g 0

g
l

Systems with Rotational Degrees-of-Freedom

Equation of Motion

J o K 0

Jo

natural frequency

K
Jo

Systems involving rotational degrees-of-freedom are always more

difficult to deal with, in particular when translational degrees-offreedom are also present. Gear care is needed to identify both
degrees-of-freedom and construct suitable equations of motion.

Damped Free Vibration (first hurdle in studying vibration)

mx kx cx

c
3

mx cx kx 0

m
x

1.

standard equation

x 2 n x n2 x 0

damping factor

c
c

2m n 2 km

oscillatory motion (under-damped 1 )

x (t ) exp( n t )[C1 exp( 2 1 n t ) C2 exp( 2 1 n t )]

x (t ) exp( n t )( A sin d t B cos d t ) X exp( n t ) sin( d t )

x (t ) exp( n t )[

x (0) n x (0)
sin d t x (0) cos d t ]
d

d n 1 2

Students exercise

damped natural
frequency

1
0
0

-1
-2

2.

nonoscillatory motion (over-damped 1 )

x (t ) exp( n t )[ A exp( 2 1 n t ) B exp( 2 1 n t )]

4
3
2
1
0
0

3. critically damped motion (

0.5

1.5

2
1.5

x (t ) ( A Bt ) exp( n t )

1
0.5
0
-0.5

0.5

1.5

4. negative damping of 0 as a special case of 1 :

x (t ) exp( n t )[C1 exp( 2 1 n t ) C2 exp( 2 1 n t )]

positive

Divergent oscillatory motion (flutter) due to negative damping

Determination of Damping

x (t ) X exp( n t ) sin( d t )

d
2

Xexp(-nt)

x1

x2

X sin

0
0

-1

-2

2 exp( 0.05t ) sin(0.9988t )

two consecutive peaks:

x1 X exp( n t1 ) sin(dt1 )
x2 X exp( n t 2 ) sin(dt2 ) X exp( n t2 ) sin(dt1 )

logarithm decrement

ln

x1
n d
x2

Example:
6

n d

The 2nd and 4th peaks of a damped free vibration measured are
respectively 0.021 and 0.013. What is damping factor?
Solution:
x (t 2 )
exp( n 2 d )
x (t 4 )
2 n d 2 n

n 1 2

4
1 2

x(t 2 )

x(t 4 )

2 n d ln
x(t 2 )

x(t 4 )

ln

If a small damping is assumed,

x (t 2 )

x (t 4 )

2 n d 4 ln

1 x(t 2 )
0.0382 3.82% .
ln
4 x(t 4 )

If such an assumption is not made, then

1 2

1 x(t 2 )

ln
4 x(t 4 )

. This leads to

1 x(t 2 )

ln
4 x(t 4 )
1 x(t 2 )

1
ln
4

x
(
t
)
4

1 x(t 2 )
2

ln

1 2 4 x(t 4 )

. This leads to

0.0381 3.81%

. So virtually the same value.

General differential equations

an

dn x
d n 1 x
dx

a
...... a1 1 a0 0
n 1
n
n 1
dt
dt
dt

first solve the characteristic equation

an n an 1n 1 ...... a1 a0 0

If all roots j are distinct, then the general solution is

and hence

x (t ) b j exp( j t )
j 1

where bj are constants to be determined.

If there are repeated roots, t (integer m 1) appears in a solution.
These are not interesting cases for mechanical vibration.
m

in response to the change of a parameter reveal stability properties

Im()

Re()

root locus diagram to be seen in Control