ME4213/ME4213E

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

ME4213/ME4213E VIBRATION THEORY AND APPLICATIONS

(Semester II : AY2011/2012)
Time Allowed : 2 Hours

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:

1.

This examination paper contains FOUR (4) questions and comprises FIVE (5)
printed pages.

2.

Answer ALL FOUR (4) questions.

3.

All questions carry equal marks.

4.

This is an OPEN-BOOK EXAMINATION.

5.

Programmable calculators are NOT allowed for this examination.

PAGE 2

ME4213/ME4213E

QUESTION 1
(a)

In the space-lab, the gravity is of the order of 10-6g and scientific experiments are
conducted under such microgravity environment. g is the acceleration due to gravity on
Earth. However, because of disturbances caused by human activities, mechanical
actuators and so on, the acceleration due to gravity in space can be as high as 10-3g.
Design a spring-damper isolating system for a 2 kg experimental module to reduce
10-3g to 10-6g within the frequency range 0.1 to 0.6 Hz. Assuming the damping ratio is
z = 0.2.
(10 marks)

(b)

List two beneficial and negative effects when viscous damper is added to spring
isolator.
(6 marks)

(c)

What is the transmissibility of the system given in Figure 1, assuming the motion of the
mass m is x.
(9 marks)

y=Ysint

k1

k2

Fig. 1
Figure 1

PAGE 3

ME4213/ME4213E

QUESTION 2
(a)

A rod of length L and pivoting at O is undergoing small rotational oscillation. Derive

the equation of motion based on Energy Method when a point mass m is attached at
the end of the rod as shown in Figure 2. The rod is not massless.
(10 marks)
O

Figure 2

(b)

A uniform bar of length L and weight W is suspended symmetrically by two strings

as shown in Figure 3. Derive the equation of motion for small angular oscillation of the
bar about the vertical axis O-O and determine its period using Energy Method.
(15 marks)

a
h
O

O
Figure 3

PAGE 4

ME4213/ME4213E

QUESTION 3
A cart of mass M is connected to a rigid wall via a spring of spring constant K and is free to
move on a smooth surface with rollers. A pendulum of length L and mass m is connected to
the cart via a revolute joint at A and is free to swing about the joint. A student immediately
identified the system as a two-degree-of-freedom system and defined the two coordinates as x
and to describe the motion of the combined system (Figure 4).
(a)

Draw the force diagram and use the Newtons method to derive the two equations of
motion.
(10 marks)

(b)

Derive the expressions for the kinetic energy and potential energy of the system and
then use the Lagranges method to derive the same set of equations of motion.
(8 marks)

(c)

If M = m and g/L = K/M, derive the characteristic equation and then determine the
two natural frequencies. g is the gravitational acceleration.
(7 marks)

Figure 4

PAGE 5

ME4213/ME4213E

QUESTION 4
A student tried to repeat the singing rod experiment mentioned in class by getting an
aluminum rod from the vibration and dynamics lab and then measured the frequency of the
generated sound. The aluminum rod had a diameter of 1 cm and a length of 1.6 m. The
Youngs modulus of the aluminum rod was found to be 70 x 109 N/m2 and the density was
2710 kg/m3.
(a)

He first held the rod precisely at its mid-point with thumb and index finger of one
hand, and then pulled the rod along its length, toward one of its ends with the thumb
and index finger of the other hand. What would be the frequency (in Hz) of the
fundamental mode?
(10 marks)

(b)

He then clamped the rod at one end and then pulled the rod along it length towards the
other end. What would be the frequency (in Hz) of the fundamental mode?
(10 marks)

(c)

Not satisfied with the sound that he had heard, he decided to get another aluminum
rod of the same length but with a smaller diameter of 0.8 cm and then repeated the
first experiment described in (a). What would be the frequency (in Hz) of the
fundamental mode for this aluminum rod of smaller diameter?
(5 marks)

- END OF PAPER -