ME 3170: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LAB 1

Submitted by
Name : Gumpula Aravind
Roll no: 131501012
EXPERIMENT NAME: MOTORIZED GYROSCOPE
OBJECTIVE:

To find the gyroscopic couple on a motorized gyroscope experimentally and

compare with applied couple.

APPARATUS:

The motor is coupled to the disc rotor, which is balanced. The disc shaft
rotates about X-X axis in two ball bearings housed in the frame. This frame
can swing about Y-Y axis in bearings provided in the yoke type frame. In
steady position, Frame is balanced by providing a weight pan on the
opposite side of the motor. The yoke frame is free to rotate about vertical
axis Z -Z. Thus freedom of rotation about three perpendicular axes is given
to the rotor.

THEORY:

A gyroscope is defined as a rigid rotating object, symmetric about one axis.

Gyroscope is a spatial mechanism as shown in Figure 1 and generally

employed for the control of angular motion of a body. If we attempt to
move some of its parts, it does not only resist this motion but even evades
it. This resistance to change in the direction of rotational axis is called the
gyroscopic effect.

The gyroscopic couple is given as

C= Ips

where, p and s are acceleration components. The direction of torque

vector will be along the spin vector on rotating spin vector by 90 in the
direction of precession.
To cause precession of a spinning body, an external torque must be applied
to the body (rotor) in a plane normal to the plane in which the spin axis is
precessing. Our objective is to determine the required external torque to
produce precession motion as specified or vice versa.

PROCEDURE:

1. Balance horizontal position of the rotor initially.

2. Start the motor by increasing the voltage with the autotransformer, and
wait until it achieves a constant speed at steady state.

3. Press the weight pan about vertical axis by an applied force in the
downward direction as seen from above.
4. It will be observed that the rotor frame swings about the horizontal axis.

5. Push the weight pan in horizontal direction (as seen from front).

6. It will be observed that motor side is seen coming upward and the weight
pan side going downwards.

7. Balance the initial horizontal position of rotor again.

8. Using Digital Tachometer, measure the speed of rotor.

9. Put 1 kg weight block on weight pan and let the gyroscope rotate freely.

10. Using Stopwatch, take readings of time at an interval of 20 rotation

until rotation stops.

11. Now by keeping 1.5 and 2kg weights on weight pan, note down the time
at interval of 20.

OBSERVATION:

Given Data: -

(1) Weight of Rotor : 6.3 kg

(2) Rotor Diameter : 300 mm

(3) Rotor Thickness : 10 mm

(4) Moment of inertia of disc, coupling and motor rotor : 0.0709 kg-m2

about the central axis

(5) Distance of bolt of Weight pan from disc Center (L) : 20 cm

(6) Motor Fractional H.P. single phase. 6000 rpm -AC/DC

(7) Autotransformer provided for speed regulation.

S.NO. Speed s Weight t p = Theoretical Gyroscopic
(rpm) (rad/sec) (W)
Torque Couple
t
(kg) (deg) (sec) / (WL) Ips
(rad/sec) (Kg-m)
1 1462 153.1002 1 20 3.95 0.0884 0.2 0.96
2 1510 158.1268 1.5 20 2.25 0.1551 0.3 1.68
3 1416 148.2832 2 20 1.61 0.2168 0.4 2.28

CALCULATIONS:

For 1 kg weight block,

2 2
Spin vector velocity s = speed = 1462 = 153.1002 rad/sec
60 60

Precession vector velocity p = /t = 20

180
/ 3.95 = 0.0884 rad/sec
Theoretical Torque = WL = 10.2 = 0.2 kg-m
6.3 0.15 0.15
Moment of Inertia of Rotor (I) = MR2/2 = = 0.0709 kg-m2
2
Gyroscopic Couple = Ips = 0.07090.0884153.1002 = 0.9596 kg.m2.s-2

RESULTS:

For spin velocity of 1462 rpm and applied torque of 0.2 Kg.m, we get
gyroscopic couple 0.9596 kg.m2.s-2 .

INFERENCE:

From this experiment, we infer that if more weight is placed gyroscope takes
more time to stop. Also the gyroscopic couple value is increasing if the
weight on pan is increasing. If an external torque is applied, the rotors tries
to come back to precession line, which is perpendicular to axis of spin as
well as of axis of applied torque.

QUESTIONS:

1. With the horizontal force on the yoke, what is the precessional motion?

Ans: Applying horizontal force on the yoke means pushing the weight pan.
So if the weight pan is pushed, motor side will go upwards and the weight
pan will goes downwards.

2. Why the precessional motion is stopping?

Ans: The precessional motion is stopping because of friction between

rotating parts and support apparatus. So the angular motion will stop. But
actually the angular motion should not stop.

3. Upon removal of the force, what happens and why?

Ans: Upon removal of the force, weight pan starts coming towards its initial
position and the angular motion is reversed. After the pan comes to its
initial position gyroscope stops rotating.

4. If you start the experiment with a tilted axis, what happens to the initial
tilt?

Ans: If the experiment is started with a tilted axis, angle at final tilt position
with respect to horizontal will be less than angle of tilt if the experiment is
started at horizontal balance position.