Practice

problems based on Free & Forced vibrations of SDOF system

1.1. A small peloton wheel rotating at 1500 rpm has a rotor of mass 10 kg mounted at the centre of a
steel shaft which has a span of 0.4 between the bearings. What should be the diameter of the shaft,
so that the transverse natural frequency is 50 percent higher than the running speed? Assume E for
steel as 2x1011 Pa.
1.2. A three blade propeller of total mass 20 tone mounted at the end of an 80 m long propeller shaft. It
is a hollow steel shaft with external diameter 0.5 m and an internal diameter of 0.3 m. Obtain a
simple equivalent single degree of freedom system for axial vibrations of the propeller. Determine
its natural frequency. Determine the lowest operating speed in rpm at which resonance in axial
vibrations is likely to occur.

1.4 An automobile can be modeled as a mass placed on four shock absorbers (each comprising a spring
and a damper), such that each spring is equally loaded. Determine stiffness and damping constant of
each shock absorber so that the natural frequency is 1.5 Hz and the system is critically damped. The
mass of the vehicle is 1.5 ton.
1.5 An auditorium door is to be designed such that the return swing occurs in the shortest possible time
without oscillating. This can be achieved with a viscous damper and a torsional spring arrangement.
If the door is 2.2mx1.2mx0.065mm size and weighs 85kg, estimate the viscous-damping coefficient
required to achieve the design criteria. Assume torsional spring stiffness of 22 Nm/rad.

1.6
A mass of 0.5 kg hangs on a spring. When an additional mass of 0.2 kg is attached to the spring ,
the spring is observed to stretch an additional 0.04m. When the 0.2 kg mass is abruptly removed ,the
amplitude of the ensuing oscillation of the 0.5 kg is observed to decrease to 1/e of its initial value in 1
s. Compute the value of damping coefficient and damped natural frequency of the system. [ANS: 9.9
Kg/s, 9.85rad/s]
1.7
A light instrument box with mass of 1.25kg is supported at four corners with isolators, each with
1.84kN/m stiffness and mechanical resistance of 6.25Ns/m. A bird whose mass can be considered to
be 250grams is sitting on top of the instrument. The bird suddenly takes off from the instrument and
while doing so, due to the sudden jerk, induces a velocity of 1m/s to the instrument. What will be the
vertical displacement of the instrument 0.2 seconds after the bird has taken off. [ANS: 8.24e-4m]
1.8
A radio set of mass 30 kg located in an airplane cabin on four springs is to be isolated from
engine vibrations which vary in the range of 40 to 65 Hz. Neglecting damping, determine stiffness of
each spring so the displacement transmissibility is 0.15. Also determine the maximum force developed

in the spring and the maximum acceleration to which the radio is subjected. The cabin vibration
amplitude is 200 micron.
1.3 A delicate instrument of mass m placed on a spring of stiffness K is packaged in a rigid box, which is
dropped from a height h. Assume that the box when strikes the floor comes to rest instantaneously . If
m= 15 kg , h =5 m , and K=0.5 MN/m determine (i) amplitude of the ensuing vibrations , (ii) maximum
force to which the spring is subjected , (iii) the maximum acceleration of the instrument. What should be
the spring stiffness so that the maximum acceleration is limited to 10g? How much rattle space is
required if this spring is to be used?
Now, if a viscous damper with damping ratio is introduced between the instrument and container,
analyze the motion of the instrument after it strikes the ground. Obtain expression for maximum
deflection of isolator and the maximum acceleration of the instrument
() Determine the maximum isolator deflection and the maximum acceleration of the instrument
when damping in the system is defined by (i) =0.02: (i) =0.1: (iii) =0.3.
() Clearance available limits the maximum isolator deflection to 0.2m and the maximum
acceleration of the instrument is limited to 20 g. Design an isolator to fulfill the above requirements.




1.9 Determine the total stiffness of the springs used for mounting a bench grinder of mass 50 kg and rated
speed of 2500rpm so that the force transmissibility is equal to or less than 0.2 .If the unbalance in the
rotor is estimated to be 10-3 kgm. What will be the dynamic amplitude of the grinder and the force
transmitted to the foundation? Force transmissibility is the ratio of force transmitted to the ground to
the force exciting the system.

1.10
The response of a large machine mounted on isolators, to a forced vibration test in which
excitation is caused by two counter-rotating eccentric masses is shown below. Each has an unbalance
mass of 4 kg placed at a distance of 0.15 m. Determine system parameters i.e., the spring constant and
the damping constant of isolators and the mass of the machine.

1.11
An electric motor of 40 kg is mounted on a light cantilevered panel through two rubber
isolators. Each rubber isolator has a material loss factor of 0.3 .The static deflection of the motor on the
rubber isolator alone is 4mm. In order to determine the stiffness of the panel, a 20 kg mass is placed on
it, and the panel end is observed to deflect by 2.5 mm. In order to determine damping of the panel, a
free vibration test is done. An initial displacement of 10 mm given to the panel dies down to 1.5 mm in 3
cycles. The rotor has a mass of 15 kg and an unbalance of 2x10-3 kgm. Obtain an equivalent degree of
freedom model.

(a) Determine the equation of the system and obtain solution for steady state vibrations of the motor.
Determine the amplitude of the motor and the panel at an operating speed of 980rpm.
(b) If the rubber pads are removed and the motor is mounted directly on the panel, determine the
dynamic amplitude of the motor at 980rpm.
(c) In order to reduce high frequency noise transmission, the motor is removed from the flexible panel
and mounted with the rubber isolators on a beam having 10 times the stiffness of the rubber pads.
Assume the damping in the beam to be negligible and determine the amplitude of the motor at the
operating speed.

1.12
A motor generator set is rated 300 kW at 985 rpm. Consider the system as a torsional vibration
system with one inertia disk (motor) connected to another inertia disk (Generator) through a flexible
shaft. The mass moments of inertia of the motor and generator rotors are 20 kgm2 and 75 kgm2
respectively. Since the motor is a 50 Hz induction motor rotor torque fluctuates over and above the
steady torque with a frequency of 100Hz. Let the torque at the motor therefore be given by Ts (1+sin 200
t), where Ts is the steady torque. The D.C. generator will have no torque fluctuation. Neglect damping
in the system and determine,
(a) The maximum shear stress developed in the steel shaft.
(b) The diameter of the shaft so that the maximum shear stress is 35MPa.