Aerospace Engineering 2220: Dynamics

Prof. Eric Feron

HW 3
Due June 9, 2014

1
 Mad Teacups
Tea cups are seen by some as a fun component of amusement parcs (see
Fig 1).

Figure 1: Mad teacups at an amusement park

The diagram of a single tea-cup that rotates about a rotating platform

is shown in Fig. 2. θ is the angular position of the teacup relative to a fixed
horizontal line. φ is the angular position of the tea cup occupant with respect
to a fixed horizontal line. At time t = 0, the angles θ and φ are zero. θ̇ and
φ̇, the angular velocities of the platform and the tea cup with respect to the
ground G are constant and equal to 1 rad/sec.
Compute the location of the center of the curvature of the occupant of
the tea cup (M) in two reference frames: The first reference frame is the
ground G. The second reference frame is the large rotating platform M.
(Hint: no calculations are really necessary to get the answers)

2
Figure 2: Schematic of a single teacup on a rotating platform

3
  
d  d 
The formula  =  + ω b/i ×
dt i dt b
In this problem, we check that the fundamental formula of kinematics
holds whatever the coordinate system, and thus is only a matter of reference
frames.
We consider the rigid body (a rod), shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 3: Rigid body in rotation

In the reference frame defined by the computer screen, the rigid body is
rotating with the angular speed ω. The point O is fixed in the frame of your
screen. Three coordinate systems are given to you: (i1 , j1 ) is non-rotating.
(i2 , j2 ) rotates along with the rigid body. (i3 , j3 ) rotates at half the angular
speed of the rigid body, that is, ω/2. The three coordinate systems are the
same at time t = 0.

1. In the reference frame of the computer screen (or your worksheet if you
have printed the problem), called I, compute the speed of the point M
relative to O using all three coordinate systems.
2. In the reference frame of the rigid body, called B, compute the speed
of the point M relative to O for all three coordinate systems.

4
3. Carefully apply the formula
 
dOM  dOM 
 =  + ωB/I × OM
dt I dt B

using all three coordinate systems, and check that the calculations yield
the same result. Thus the fundamental formula of kinematics is not
dependent on which coordinate system is used.

5
 Kinematics of orbital gears
Orbital gears are commonly used in speed reduction boxes, including for
power drills. Most lately, jet engines such as Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Tur-
bofan and Price-Induction’s DGEN 380 have been incorporating this tech-
nology as well. Consider the orbital gear shown in Fig. 4. We assume that

Figure 4: An orbital gear mechanism

the gearbox, which contains all gears, is fixed in the reference frame of your
computer screen. Assume the radius of the center gear is RC , while the ra-
dius of the orbiting gears is RO . Let ω be the angular speed of the center
gear.

1. What is the angular speed of the orbiting gears?

2. How fast (in rad/sec) do they rotate around the center gear?

6
3. Discuss your findings as a function of the relative values of RC and RO .
Can the orbiting gears orbit around the center gear slower, or faster
than the center gear rotates?

7
 Frenet frame vs rigid-body frame Aircraft longitudinal dynamics are
dominated by two dominant modes. First, there is the short period. Second,
there is the phugoid. Both modes are shown in Fig. 5. In the short period

Figure 5: Short period and phugoid modes

mode, the aircraft trajectory (taken at the CG) remains almost straight while
the aircraft weathercocks around it and eventually settles along the direction
of flight. The phugoid is also an oscillatory mode. However, it is a lot slower,
and the aircraft remains always aligned with the direction of flight (constant
angle of attack near zero), while the altitude of the aircraft oscillates along
a sinusoidal pattern.
1. For both aircraft modes, draw: (i) a basis fixed in the aircraft reference
frame and (ii) a basis attached to the trajectory of the aircraft CG (the
Frenet basis).
2. For what mode are the two bases closest to each other?
3. Looking back at the short period, consider the point M (roughly located
at the cockpit). Plot the approximate trajectory followed by the point
M . Plot the Frenet frame of M along the trajectory.

8
4. We now look back at the phugoid. Let’s assume the phugoid trajectory
(altitude as a function of forward position) is y = 30 cos(x/100), thus
the amplitude of the phugoid is 30 meters. Compute the location of
the center of curvature C(x) of the phugoid mode for all values of x.
On a single diagram, plot C(x) vs x. Link a few samples of C(x) to
the corresponding point (x, y) on the trajectory. Assume the phugoid
is now y = 60 cos(x/100), that is, the amplitude is doubled. Can you
recycle your previous calculations easily to get the location of C(x)?