Executive Summary

The objective of this assignment is to study a one degree of freedom system and to determine
its natural frequency using the principle of conservation of energy for the analysis. The
assignment provided the opportunity to develop an engineering report of professional quality.
The different parts of the assignment resulted in different learning outcomes such as a graphical
representation of a physical system utilizing trigonometry as a tool for analysis. Principles of
statics and dynamics were also re-visited to obtain information such as centroid of mass and
moment of inertia of the system.
Both the kinetic and gravitational potential energy of the system was analysed to derive the
governing equation of motion of the system which in turn was used to determine the natural
frequency of the system. Through this the method, the linearization of differential equations
was studied and utilised.
There are some limitations on the results of this assignment compared to real world problems.
This is due to assumptions and simplifications which has made the analysis of the problem
easier. However the neglect of damping, friction and other losses in energy such as heat and
air drag has allowed for the results in this assignment to be ideal instead of realistic such that
the natural frequency of system may have been overestimated.

Table of Contents
Part (a) ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Part (b) ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Part (c)....................................................................................................................................... 5
Part (d) ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Part (e)....................................................................................................................................... 7
Part (f) ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Part (g) ...................................................................................................................................... 9
Part (h) ...................................................................................................................................... 9

Part (a)

The y co-ordinate of the centroid is calculated with the following formula

=

Where,
= Centroid of the shaded strip
= Area of the shaded strip
= Area of the semi circle
Therefore, from the diagram, the following equation is derived

2 ( )
=
2
2
=

2
=
2
The equation for a circle is 2 + 2 = 2 . The following formula is applied in this case.
=

2
2

( 2 2 )
= 0
2
3

3
[( 3 )]
0
=
2

3
( 3 3 )
=
2
=

4
3

This distance is the y co-ordinate centroid of a solid semi cylinder from bottom.

Part (b)

The moment of inertia of the circle at the centre is mr2. Since it is semi-circle, it becomes
2
2

From this diagram, the moment of inertia at point G is calculated using the parallel axis
theorem as follows.;
= 2
=

2
4
( )2
2
3

2 16 2
=

2
9 2
4

Part (c)

This diagram illustrate the system in its equilibrium position and the superimposed one
deflected by an angle. A is the point where the two cylinders touch in equilibrium position so
as A for the deflected position. G is the centroid of the above cylinder in equilibrium position
so as G for the deflected position. The distances a, b and c are required for energy derivations.

Part (d)
The total kinetic energy is the addition of the translational energy of the mass centre and the
rotational energy about the mass centre.
=

1
1
2 + 2
2
2

The bottom flat surface of the upper cylinder the always tangent to the radius of the lower
cylinder at the point of contact T so that the rotational velocity of the upper cylinder about G
is . The translational velocity at Point G is perpendicular to distance GT about the
instantaneous centre of rotation at T as shown in the diagram. Therefore, this velocity can be
derived as follows;
2
2

= [()2 + [

4
]
] ()
3

2
2

1
4
1 2 16 2
2

= [ () + [ ] () ] + (

) ()2
2
3
2
2
9 2

Part (e)

From the geometry of the above diagram, the following distances can be derived as the
following;
4
cos + sin
3

= cos +

4
3

=
=

4
4
cos + sin cos +
3
3

The gravitational potential energy is calculated from this equation.

=
= [

4
4
cos + sin cos +
]
3
3

Part (f)
The damping is not considered in this condition. Thus the principle of conservation of energy

( + ) = 0 is applied where KE and PE are being derived from previous parts.

1
4 2
1 2 16 2
[ (()2 + ( ) ) ()2 + (

) ( 2 )]
2
3
2 2
9 2
4
4
+ [ ( cos + sin + cos )] = 0
3
3

By simplifying the above equation and taking out the common factor m, the following
equation is obtained.

1 2 2 2 8 2 2 2 2 8 2 2 4
[ +
+
+
cos + sin
2
9
4
9
3
4
+ cos
] = 0
3
Both

82
9

82 2
and 9 are subtracted and the following equation is yielded.

1 2 2 2 2 2 4
4
[ + +
cos + sin + cos
] = 0
2
4
3
3

By differentiating the above equation, the following equation is formed.

1 2 2
2
4
2

( 2 + 2) + (2)
sin + cos + sin
2
4
3
sin = 0

Simplifying the equation as well as common term can be eliminated and the following
equation is obtained.
2 2

+ +
2 2

2
4

sin + cos = 0
2
3

Part (g)
The resultant equation from part (f) is the non-linear differential equation.
In order to linearize it, the amplitude of is assumed to be very small so that 2 and 2 are
also very small as well as converting cos = 0 sin = respectively.
2
4

+ = 0
2
3
2
4
+ [
] = 0
2
3
4
3
+ [
] =0
2
2
+ [

2 8

] =0
2
3

This equation is in the form of simple harmonic motion so that the natural frequency can be
derived as
=

2 8

2
3

Part (h)

3
=

4
=

4
3

Therefore, this relation indicates that the radius of the fixed cylinder is smaller than the moving
cylinder.
This relation can be substituted in the natural frequency equation obtained from part (g).
4
2(3) 8
=

2
3
8
8
=

3 3
=0
The zero natural frequency means the system will not oscillate.