Dynamics of Mechanical Systems prof. S. Bruni eng. A.

Zuin

Exercise session nr. 1

1. Introduction
The first exercise session deals with the basic kinematic relationships, with the writing of the equation of
motion and with the constraint forces computation of mechanical systems with one degree of freedom (d.o.f.).

As general rule, the mechanical systems considered in this course:

- are moving in the vertical plane;

- are constituted by rigid bodies connected with springs, dampers and strings;
- are subjected to external forces/ torques depending only on time;
- are conservative/dissipative systems;
- can be subjected to non-linear kinematics relationships that will linearized around the given static
equilibrium position.

The equation of motions will be usually written using the Lagranges equations in the vector form, but the
dynamic equations of equilibrium will be used as well, particularly for the constraint forces computation.

2. Basics
A rigid body is an ideal body that doesnt change its shape and its dimensions independently from the applied
forces. In this course we will consider rigid bodies with an ideal shape (i.e. a perfect circle) and uniform density;
therefore the center of mass position is automatically given by its shape (i.e. the disk center). Being zero its
deformation, during its motion the applied forces and torques are equilibrated only by the inertial force and
torque. A rigid body moving in a plane has three d.o.f. and its motion can be described by the following set of
independent coordinates: the horizontal and the vertical displacement x, y and the rotation . In the figure
below a rigid body is depicted during its movement; it is subjected to:

- , : horizontal and vertical component

of the inertial force. , are the horizontal
and vertical component of the absolute
acceleration of the center of mass; being
positive toward right and up respectively,
the inertial forces are directed in the
opposite direction, namely toward left and
down, according to the vector form: =

- : inertial torque, being J the moment of
inertia with respect to the center of mass.
Its positive clockwise if the absolute angular
acceleration is positive counterclockwise,
according to the vector form: =

The Konig theorem allows for the kinetic energy computation: it states that the total kinetic energy is given by
the sum of the kinetic energy due to the body translation and that due to the body rotation:

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Dynamics of Mechanical Systems prof. S. Bruni eng. A. Zuin

1 1 1 (2.1)
= 2 + 2 + 2
2 2 2
being:

- m, J the mass and the moment of inertia with respect to the center of mass respectively;
- , the horizontal and vertical component of the absolute velocity of the center of mass;
- the absolute angular velocity;
1 1
- 2
2 + 2 2 the translation component;
1
- 2
2 the rotational one.

A point mass is an ideal rigid body that can be considered a point because its dimensions are negligible with
respect to those of the other bodies. This means that a point mass in a plane has only two d.o.f., namely x and
y, and that the moment of inertia J tends to zero.

- , : horizontal and vertical component of

the inertial force.
- The kinetic energy has only the translation
component:
1 1
= 2 + 2
2 2

A spring is an ideal element with negligible mass and made with a linear elastic material (therefore, when it is
deformed, the energy dissipated is zero):

= : spring elongation, positive if the

spring is put in traction. The external force applied
to the spring is F = , being k the spring
stiffness

The elastic potential energy is given by:

1 (2.2)
= L2
2

A viscous damper is an ideal element with negligible mass and that generates a damping force proportional to
its viscous damping coefficient and to its relative velocity. As the force is not dependent on the relative
displacement, the elastic component is zero:

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Dynamics of Mechanical Systems prof. S. Bruni eng. A. Zuin

= : damper relative velocity, positive if

the damper increases its length. The external force
applied to the damper is F = , being c the
damper viscous constant
The dissipation function for a linear viscous damper is given by:

1 (2.3)
= L2
2

A string is an ideal element with negligible mass and negligible bending stiffness, but undeformable in the axial
direction. Taking into account its properties, a string can be wound around a pulley (in this case no slippage
between string and pulley is often considered), or can connect two rigid bodies. In any case a string removes
one d.o.f. from the system:

The modulus of the velocity of each point of the string is

The string makes equal the displacement of the two masses
because it is undeformable in the axial direction.
. Assuming no slippage between string and pulley, is
also the modulus of the velocity of the points of the
pulley that are in contact with the string. Therefore the
pulley angular velocity is = and, by integrating with
respect to time, the pulley rotation is = +

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Dynamics of Mechanical Systems prof. S. Bruni eng. A. Zuin

3. Constraints
A cart removes 1 d.o.f and let the body rotate and translate along the cart plane. Removing the cart form the
mechanical system, the corresponding constraint force V, normal to the cart plane, has to be applied in order
to keep the system in equilibrium:

A hinge removes 2 d.o.f and let the body rotate around the hinge. A hinge can be represented in two ways (see
figures below). Removing the hinge form the mechanical system, the corresponding constraint force has to
be applied in order to keep the system in equilibrium. As both the modulus and the direction of the force are
unknown, usually its horizontal and vertical component are taken into account:

A slider removes 2 d.o.f and let the body translate along the slider plane. Removing the slider from the
mechanical system, the corresponding constraint force V, normal to the slider plane, and torque M has to be
applied in order to keep the system in equilibrium:

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Dynamics of Mechanical Systems prof. S. Bruni eng. A. Zuin

A fixed clamp removes 3 d.o.f and fixes the body to the ground. Removing the clamp form the mechanical
system, the corresponding constraint force and torque M has to be applied in order to keep the system in
equilibrium. As both the modulus and the direction of the force are unknown, usually its horizontal and
vertical component are taken into account

The rolling without sliding condition is an ideal kinematic relationship that describes in an easy way the
relative motion between a disk and a plane when the relative sliding between them is so small that can be
ignored. For this reason the relative velocity between disk and plane in the contact point P is zero and the
contact point is the Instantaneous Axis of Rotation (I.A.R.) of the relative motion. Moreover, during the relative
rotation of the disk with respect to the plane, the contact point can be considered as a hinge moving together
with the contact point; consequently disk and plane exchange the same unknown constraint force of a hinge,
which is usually projected normal and parallel to the plane:

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Dynamics of Mechanical Systems prof. S. Bruni eng. A. Zuin

Given the static friction coefficient fs between disk and plane, the rolling without sliding condition takes place if
the following relationship is verified:

|| ; = || (3.1)

with H and V computed through dynamic equations of equilibrium. Moreover the relative displacement of the
disk center with respect to the plane depends linearly from the disk rotation:

= (3.2)

where R is the radius of the disk. If the plane is fixed, x is the absolute displacement of point C. The minus sign
is due to the sign conventions: in this case, indeed, a positive rotation of the disk (which is counterclockwise)
moves point C towards left; being the horizontal displacement positive towards right, x must be negative.

For what concern the computation of the degrees of freedom of the disk, supposing that the plane is fixed, if
the rolling without sliding condition is not verified, the d.o.f. are two (translation x and rotation ) because
there is only one constraint due to the contact in the point P (the vertical displacement of the disk is zero
because the disk cant detach from the plane). But, when the rolling without sliding condition is verified, the
disk has just one d.o.f. because equation (3.2) establishes a kinematic relationship between translation and
rotation.

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Dynamics of Mechanical Systems prof. S. Bruni eng. A. Zuin

4. Exercise nr. 1
A disk is moving on a plane and its center is connected to the ground through a spring and damper system. A
time dependent force is applied to the disk center. Supposing that the rolling without sliding condition is
always verified, write the equation of equilibrium using both the Lagranges equation and the dynamic
equation of equilibrium. Compute also the natural frequency and the constraint forces in the contact point P.

Before starting to solve the exercise, its very useful to make a list of the main steps of the general solution:

1. Compute the degrees of freedom

2. Define the sign convention
3. Define the independent coordinates for the system.

Regarding the Lagranges equations:

4. write the kinetic energy, the dissipation function, the total potential energy and the virtual work of the
external forces/ torques;
5. write the kinematic relationships of the quantities introduced at the previous step;
6. Apply the Lagranges equations and derive the systems equation(s) of motion

Regarding the dynamic equations of equilibrium:

4. write the minimum number of independent equations of equilibrium. Unfortunately its often
mandatory to split the mechanical system into subsystems in order to get a correct set of equations,
but this fact increases the number of unknowns because the forces/torques transmitted between the
subsystems, which were internal before the system division, are now external (and unknown)
forces/torques applied to each subsystem.

Solution of the exercise:

Step 1 - computation of the d.o.f.: there is only a rigid body, so the d.o.f. without constraints are three. The
constraints are two, the contact of the disk with the plane and the rolling without sliding kinematic
relationship, so the constrained system has one d.o.f.

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Dynamics of Mechanical Systems prof. S. Bruni eng. A. Zuin

Step 2 sign convention: lets assume positive towards right the horizontal displacements (and their
derivatives, i.e. velocity and acceleration) and the horizontal component of the unknown forces; positive
upwards the vertical displacements (and their derivatives) and the
vertical component of the unknown forces; positive counterclockwise the
rotations and the unknown torques; positive the elongations of the
springs and dampers. This sign convention is represented in the figure on
the left. Once the sign convention has been established, all the equations
have to be written (and all of the results judged) taking into account the
sign convention.

Step 3 define the systems independent coordinates: lets assume the disk rotation as the independent
coordinate. In this very simple exercise, to take x as independent coordinate wont have made the solution
harder.

Step 4 kinetic energy, dissipation function, :

Taking into account the equations (2.1), (2.2) and (2.3), we get:

1 1
= 2 + 2
2 2
1
= L2
2 (4.1)
1
= L2
2
=
{ =
Step 5 kinematic relationships:

Given a positive rotation of the disk, its center will move towards left and the spring and damper system will be
compressed:

=
L = x =
{ (4.2)
L = x =
=

Step 6 Lagranges equations:

The virtual work of the external force is negative because its virtual displacement is opposite to the positive
force direction (which its positive towards right not because of the sign convention, but because it is a known
external force and the drawing states that it is positive when it is applied towards right).

Substituting equations (4.2) into (4.1), we get:

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Dynamics of Mechanical Systems prof. S. Bruni eng. A. Zuin

1
= (R2 + ) 2
2
1
= R2 2 (4.3)
2
1
= R2 2
2
{ = ()
The Lagranges equation has the following form:

( ) + + = (4.4)

Performing the computation of the required derivatives we get:

= (R2 + ) ( ) = (R2 + ) ; =0


= R2
(4.5)

= = R2


{ = = ()

And hence the required equation of motion of the system is:

(R2 + ) + R2 + R2 = () (4.6)

Natural frequency computation: as the system has one d.o.f., the natural frequency can be easily calculated

with the well-known formula 0 = 12
, where and
are the stiffness and the inertial coefficients of
the equation of motion: = R2 ;
= (R2 + ). Therefore the natural frequency is given by:

R2
0 = 12 2
R +

Solution with the dynamic equation of equilibrium: lets split the system in two subsystems disconnecting the
spring and damper element from the disk and applying both sides the elastic and damping force transmitted by
those elements (Figure 4.1). According to the sign convention (the elongations are positive) and to the
equations reported in section 2 (F = and F = ), the forces applied to the spring and damper are
directed towards right; therefore the forces applied to the disk center are directed towards left, according to
the Newtons third law:

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Dynamics of Mechanical Systems prof. S. Bruni eng. A. Zuin

Figure 4.1: solution with the dynamic equation of equilibrium

Removing also the plane, the constraint forces acting in the contact point P are applied as well.

The equation of motion can be derived without introducing other unknowns writing the equation of
equilibrium (4.7) of the moments about centre P of the forces and torques applied to the disk (thus the arms of
the constraint forces V and H are zero) and substituting the kinematic relationships (4.2):

= 0: [ + + ()] = 0 (4.7)
(R2 + ) + R2 + R2 = () (4.8)

Note: dimensional check

The dimensional check of an equation is a very helpful way of checking whether its correct from a physical
point of view: given the dimension of a term of the equation ([N], [m], [N/m] etc.), all of the other addends
must have the same dimension. Moreover, the dimension of the left hand side must be equal to the dimension
of the right hand side. In equation (4.8), for example, the dimension of the four elements is [Nm].

Computation of the constraint forces: the constraint forces H and V (Figure 4.1) can be derived imposing the
equilibrium of the disk in the horizontal and vertical direction respectively:

= 0: + () [ + + ] = 0 = + + () (4.9)
= 0: = 0 = (4.10)

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