3.

7 COULOMB DAMPING
Coulomb damping is the damping that occurs due to dry friction when two surfaces slide against one another. Coulomb damping can be the result of a mass sliding on a dry surface, axle friction in a journal bearing, belt friction, or rolling resistance. The case of a mass sliding on a dry surface is analyzed here, but the qualitative results apply to all forms of Coulomb damping. As the mass of Figure 3.15 (a) slides on a dry surface, a friction force that resists the motion develops between the mass and the surface. Coulombs law states that the friction force is proportional to the normal force developed between the mass and the surface. The constant of proportionality m, is called the kinetic coefficient of friction. Since the friction force always resists the motion, its direction depends on the sign of the velocity. Application of Newtons law to the free-body diagrams of Figure 3.15(b) and (c) yields the following differential equations: # mmg x 7 0 $ mx + kx = e (3.55) # mmg x 6 0 Equations (3.55) are generalized by using a single equation # |x| $ mx + kx = - mmg # x
x k m (a) mg kx F = mg N (b) = >0 x
FIGURE 3.15

(3.56)

(a) A mass slides on a surface with a coefficient of friction m . (b) FBDs at # an arbitrary instant for x > 0. (c) FBDs # at an arbitrary instant for x < 0.

mg kx F = mg N External forces (c) Effective forces = <0 x

The right-hand side of Equation (3.56) is a nonlinear function of the generalized coordinate. Thus the free vibrations of a one-degree-of-freedom system with Coulomb damping are governed by a nonlinear differential equation. However, an analytical solution exists and is obtained by solving Equation (3.55). Without loss of generality, assume that free vibrations of the system of Figure 3.15 are initiated by displacing the mass a distance d to the right, from equilibrium, and releasing it from rest. The spring force draws the mass toward equilibrium; thus the velocity is initially negative. Equation (3.55) applies over the first half-cycle of motion, until the velocity again becomes zero.

# The solution of Equation (3.55) subject to x(0) = d and x(0) = 0 with mmg on the right-hand side is x (t) = a d mmg k b cos vnt + mmg k (3.57)

Equation (3.57) describes the motion until the velocity changes sign at t p> vn when xa 2mmg p b = -d + vn k (3.58)

Equation (3.55) with mmg on the right-hand side governs the motion until the velocity next changes sign. The solution of Equation (3.55) using Equation (3.58) and # p x Av B = 0 as initial conditions is
n

x (t) = a d -

3mmg k

b cos vnt -

mmg k

p 2p t vn vn

(3.59)

The velocity again changes sign at t 2p> vn when xa 4mmg 2p b = d vn k (3.60)

The motion during the first complete cycle is described by Equations (3.57) and (3.59). The amplitude change between the beginning and the end of the cycle is x (0) - x a 4mmg 2p b = vn k (3.61)

The motion is cyclic. The analysis of the subsequent and each successive cycle continues in the same fashion. The initial conditions used to solve for the displacement during a halfcycle are that the velocity is zero and the displacement is the displacement calculated at the end of the previous half-cycle. The period of each cycle is T = 2p vn (3.62)

Thus Coulomb damping has no effect on the natural frequency. Mathematical induction is used to develop the following expressions for the displacement of the mass during each half-cycle: x (t) = c d - (4n - 3) 2(n - 1) mmg k d cos vnt + mmg k (3.63)

p 1 p t 2an - b vn 2 vn mmg k d cos vnt mmg k

x (t) = c d - (4n - 1) 2an x a 2n

1 p p b t 2n vn 2 vn

(3.64)

4mmg p b = d - a bn vn k

(3.65)

Equation (3.65) shows that the displacement at the end of each cycle is 4mmg/k less than the displacement at the end of the previous cycle. Thus the amplitude of free vibration decays linearly as shown, when Equations (3.63) and (3.64) are plotted in Figure 3.16. The amplitudes on successive cycles form an arithmetic sequence. If xn is the amplitude at the end of the nth cycle then xn - xn-1 = 4mmg k (3.66)

with x0 d. The solution of this difference equation is Equation (3.65). The motion continues with this constant decrease in amplitude as long as the restoring force is sufficient to overcome the resisting friction force. However, since the friction
FIGURE 3.16

= 0.1 m = 100 kg n = 100 rad/s x0 = 0.005 m

Free response of a system with Coulomb damping. The motion is cyclic with a linear decay of amplitude. The period is the same as the natural period with motion ceasing with a permanent displacement.

0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0

Time (101 s) 3

Displacement (103 m)

causes a decrease in amplitude, the restoring force eventually becomes less than the friction force. This occurs when k ` x a 2n p b ` mmg vn (3.67)

Motion ceases during the nth cycle, where n is the smallest integer such that n 7 1 kd 4mmg 4 (3.68)

When motion ceases a constant displacement from equilibrium of mmg/k is maintained.

The effect of Coulomb damping differs from the effect of viscous damping in these respects: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Viscous damping causes a linear term proportional to the velocity in the governing differential equation, while Coulomb damping gives rise to a nonlinear term. The natural frequency of an undamped system is unchanged when Coulomb damping is added, but is decreased when viscous damping is added. Motion is not cyclic if the viscous damping coefficient is large enough, whereas the motion is always cyclic when Coulomb damping is the only source of damping. The amplitude decreases linearly because of Coulomb damping and exponentially because of viscous damping. Coulomb damping leads to a cessation of motion with a resulting permanent displacement from equilibrium, while motion of a system with only viscous damping continues indefinitely with a decaying amplitude.

Since the motion of all physical systems ceases in the absence of continuing external excitation, Coulomb damping is always present. Coulomb damping appears in many forms, such as axle friction in journal bearings and friction due to belts in contact with pulleys or flywheels. The response of systems to these and other forms of Coulomb damping can be obtained in the same manner as the response for dry sliding friction. The general form of the differential equation governing the free vibrations of a linear system where Coulomb damping is the only source of damping is Ff $ x + v2 nx = e m eq Ff m eq # x 6 0 (3.69) # x 7 0

where Ff is the magnitude of the Coulomb damping force. The decrease in amplitude per cycle of motion is A = 4Ff m eqv2 n (3.70)