Free Vibrations in an Undamped Torsional Systems

ME 510 Vibration Engineering

Torsional Vibration
If a rigid body rotationally oscillate about
a specific reference axis, the resulting
motion is called torsional vibration
The displacement of the body is
measured in terms of an angular
coordinate
Consider a system with a circular disk at the
end of cylindrical shaft. The hanging disk has
a mass moment of inertia I about the axis of
rotation. The cylindrical shaft has a torsional
stiffness k. If the mass is rotated through an
angle 0 and released, torsional vibration
results. Typically, the inertia of the shaft can
be ignored.

The restoring moment may be due to the Given:

torsion of an elastic member or to the 1. Constant Inertia
unbalanced moment of a force or couple 2. Constant Torsional Stiffness
3. Shaft Inertia is negligible

Effect of shaft is to produce a resisting

moment on the disk:
JG
M=
L

= or =
The disk undergoes pure rotational
motion about the axis of the shaft. Shown
from the FBD. Applying equation of motion = +
to the disk and noting that =

= =

+ () =

+ = ()

 Free Vibrations in an Undamped Torsional Systems
ME 510 Vibration Engineering
For any torsional element:
Relationship between linear displacement
and angular displacement:

= Fr = = ( )

Examples:

1. Find the equation of motion of the uniform

rigid bar OA of length l and mass m
shown in the figure. Also find its natural
frequency.
From Machine Design:

TL
=
JG

= = =
Solution:

= =

From General Equation:

= +

( = 0) =

( = 0) = =

= +
 Free Vibrations in an Undamped Torsional Systems
ME 510 Vibration Engineering
2. The figure shows a spacecraft with four Solution:
solar panel. Each panel has the
+ = 0
dimension of 5 ft. x 3 ft. x 1 in. with a
density of 0.1 lb/in3, and is connected to Similarly,
the body by aluminum rods of length 12
+ = 0
in. and diameter 1 in. Determine the
natural frequency of vibration each panel
about the axis of the connecting rod. = =

2 2
= =
2.3

= 2.73 rad/s

=
2

(0.008)4 (83109 )
=2
Solution: (1.5)(2.732 )

= 47.7 2

3. A wheel is mounted on a steel shaft (G =

83 GPa) of length 1.5 m and radius 0.80
cm. The wheel is rotated 5 degrees and
released. The period of oscillation is
observed as 2.3 seconds. Determine the
mass moment of inertia of the wheel.