ME354A: Vibration and Control
Thursday 16th March, 2023
Assignment 5
Problem 1. Determine the natural frequencies of lateral vibration of a uniform beam
(i) fixed at both ends, and
(ii) free at both ends.
What do you observe?
Problem 2. Derive the frequency equation for the transverse vibration of a uniform beam
resting on springs at both ends, as shown in Fig. 1. The springs can deflect vertically only,
and the beam is horizontal in the equilibrium position.
Figure 1: Beam supported on springs at the ends.
Problem 3. What is a linear time-invariant system? Show that the system modeled by
first-order differential equation ẏ + ky = u is a linear time-invariant system where k is a
constant.
Problem 4. Answer the following:
(i) Draw the block diagram of an open loop system. Give at least 3 examples of open-loop
systems. List out the advantages and disadvantages of open-loop systems.
(ii) Draw the block diagram of a closed-loop system. Give at least 3 examples of closed-loop
systems. List out the advantages and disadvantages of closed-loop systems.
Problem 5. Obtain the Laplace transform of the following functions:
(i) f (t) = cos 1.5t + 4 sin 1.5t + 1.7e−0.5t cos 1.5t
(ii) f (t) = 3t2 − 2t sin 1.3t
1
(iii) f (t) = sin t ∗ cos t (where ∗ denotes convolution)
Problem 6. Obtain the inverse Laplace transform of the following functions:
6
(i) F (s) =
s(s + 1)(s + 2)
5s + 3
(ii) F (s) =
(s + 1)(s2 + 2s + 30)
2(s2 + s + 1)
(iii) F (s) =
s(s + 1)2
Problem 7. Find the step response of the system whose impulse response is given by:
(
te−t if t ≥ 0
h(t) = ,
0 if t < 0
(i) using convolution integral
(ii) using Laplace transform
Problem 8. A schematic diagram of electric motor driving a load for position control is
shown in Fig. 2. The motor electrical constant, motor torque constant, motor armature
inductance, motor resistance, motor rotor inertia, and motor rotor viscous friction are given
by Ke , Kt , La , Ra , J1 , and B respectively. The load rotor has an inertia of J2 . The motor
rotor and load rotor are connected by a shaft with an equivalent spring constant k and an
equivalent viscous damping coefficient b.
(i) Write the equations of motion.
(ii) Write the transfer function for the motor voltage va as input and load rotor position
θ2 as output.
Figure 2: Motor with a flexible load
2
Problem 9. Obtain the transfer function Ge (s) = Y (s)/R(s) for the block diagrams in Fig.
3 and Fig. 4 using block diagram reduction techniques.
Figure 3: Block diagram
Figure 4: Block diagram