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Vibrations, dynamics and structural systems (Second Edition): Madhujit

Mukhopadhyay; A.A. Balkema: Rotterdam

Article  in  Engineering Structures · August 2001

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 Engineering Structures 23 (2001) 1043–1044
Book reviews
Introduction to Experimental Non-linear Dynamics A
Case Study in Mechanical Vibration
Lawrence N. Virgin, Cambridge University Press. ISBN
0-521-77931-6 (paperback), 0-521-66286-9 (hardback)
This book is an introduction to the fascinating subject
of non-linear dynamics. The author starts with a brief
overview of linear dynamics before introducing useful
concepts for studying non-linear systems. His approach,
to use simple experimental and mathematical models of
Duffing’s equation to introduce the key elements of non-
linear dynamics, is then described and developed. What
follows is a series of results from experiments and
numerical simulations that demonstrate phenomena such
as bifurcation, chaos, period doubling, system instability
etc. The comparison of experimental and numerical
results allows the reader to understand the physical
phenomena and also to see how they can be modelled.
The book concludes with two appendices, which
describe two practical situations where non-linear
dynamics is important, a non-linear electric circuit and
the buckling of a plate under an oscillating thermal load.
The book is generally very well written. It is clear
and easy to read and the use of experimental models
throughout the book takes the reader naturally through
the development of this often complicated subject. The
results are clearly represented and the explanations help-
ful. Indeed, the clarity of the presentation is such that
the reader is drawn in and wants to know more rather
than being deterred by heavy mathematics. Of course,
the clarity has been at the expense of much mathematical
detail, but there is an extensive bibliography that points
the reader both in the direction of early foundational
studies and also to the burgeoning current literature in
both applied mathematics and engineering sources.
The book is aimed at advanced undergraduate and
graduate students and the author has done well to pitch
the book at a level that is accessible to both. The book
has enough general interest for the undergraduate whilst
having sufficient depth to start the aspiring researcher on
the road to deeper understanding. Anyone considering
teaching a course in non-linear dynamics to engineering
students would do well to illustrate their lectures with
some of the experimental models presented in this book.
It would be a fine course textbook.
The book has few real weaknesses. Perhaps the title
is misleading, as the book is really an introduction to
non-linear dynamics using experimental models rather
www.elsevier.com/locate/engstruct
than an introduction to experimental non-linear dynam-
ics. For someone considering an experimental investi-
gation of a non-linear system, there are perhaps better
guides available. There is also, understandably, an
emphasis on the more interesting phenomena associated
with highly non-linear systems. Less is said about
weakly non-linear systems, which practising engineers
are more likely to encounter. This is perhaps borne out
by the relative lack of “real” examples. The book is
therefore less likely to be of direct use to the practis-
ing engineer.
Dr. John S. Owen
School of Civil Engineering, University of Nottingham,
NG7 2RD,
UK
E-mail address: john.owen@nottingham.ac.uk
29 January 2001
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Vibrations, dynamics and structural systems
(Second Edition)
Madhujit Mukhopadhyay; A.A. Balkema: Rotterdam
The second edition of the book was published in 2000.
According to the author, considerable changes have been
made and a large number of new topics have been intro-
duced spreading over most of chapters. In addition to
the classical contents in structural dynamics, the book
contains a brief history of vibrations, the finite element
method and the finite difference method used for
vibration analysis.
The sixteen-chapter book is well written and the con-
cepts are clearly illustrated. A good number of examples
are provided in each chapter, which are particularly help-
ful for beginners. Exercise questions are given at the end
of each chapter. The book would be more attractive if
the answers of the questions, or part of the equations,
could be provided. It would have been helpful if a table
* Tel.: +44 161 200 4604; fax:+44 161 200 4646.
1044 Book reviews / Engineering Structures 23 (2001) 1043–1044
of notation had been provided as some symbols adopted
in the book are different from those commonly used.
About a quarter of the 580-page book covers many
aspects of a single degree of freedom (SDOF) system.
This treatment is appropriate as the vibration of a SDOF
system is the fundamental of structural dynamics and
many engineering problems can be simplified into a
SDOF system. The concepts presented in some sections
are very useful, such as energy dissipation by damping,
equivalent viscous damping and self-excited vibration,
which may not be included in similar books.
As is the case with some other books on structural
dynamics, the phase lag in the response of a SDOF sys-
tem subject to a harmonic load should have been dis-
cussed in more detail. The phase lag f is defined as
冉 冊
2xb
f⫽tan−1
1−b2
where ξ is the critical damping and β is the ratio of
the load frequency to the system frequency. Physically,
0°ⱕfⱕ180° holds, however, the mathematical definition
Eq. (1) gives ⫺90°ⱕfⱕ90°. Attention should be paid
when the denominator is negative as today many calcu-
lations are conducted using computers. A periodical load
is normally decomposed into several harmonic compo-
nents; it may lead to an incorrect prediction of response
when Eq. (1) is used without considering a supplemen-
tary condition.
The free vibration of a damped and undamped two
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degrees of freedom (TDOF) system and the forced
vibration of an undamped TDOF system are discussed
in the book. It would be better if the forced vibration of a
damped TDOF system were included as there are several
applications of the later model in practice.
Then the analysis of the free and forced vibration of
multi-degrees of freedom systems and continuous sys-
tems are discussed. The basics of many methods used
for calculating dynamic response and solving eigenvalue
problems are illustrated together with examples, which
gives readers a quick way for an easy understanding of
the concepts of these methods.
Computer programs for analysing simple structures
are provided after the discussion of nonlinear vibration
and random vibration. Students may find these useful if
they are required to program for solving a vibration
problem.
(1)
The book is suitable for undergraduates and graduates
studying civil or mechanical engineering, lecturers
teaching structural dynamics or vibration of mechanical
systems, and engineers who wish to know the basics
of dynamics.
Tianjian Ji
*
UMIST, Department of Civil and Construction
Engineering, P.O. Box 88,
Manchester M60 1QD, UK
E-mail address: tji@umist.ac.uk
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