1 Mechanical Vibrations – Single Degree-of-Freedom systems V.

Rouillard © 2003 - 2020

Forced (harmonically excited) single DoF vibration

• External energy supplied to system as applied force or imposed motion (displacement, velocity or acceleration)
• This section deals only with harmonic excitation which results in harmonic response (cf. steady-state or transient
response from non-harmonic excitation).
• Harmonic forcing function takes the form:
F( t ) = F0 ei(t + ) or F( t ) = F0 cos( t +  ) or F( t ) = F0 sin( t +  )

• Where F0 is the amplitude,  the frequency and  the phase angle.

• The response of a linear system subjected to harmonic excitation is also harmonic.
• The response amplitude depends on the ratio of the excitation frequency to the natural frequency.
• Some “common” harmonic forcing functions are:
• Rotating machine / element with (large) residual imbalance
• Regular shedding of vortices caused by laminar flow across slender structures (VIV) – ie: chimneys, bridges,
overhead cables, mooring cables, tethers, pylons…
• Vehicle travelling on pavement corrugations or sinusoidal surfaces
• Structures excited by regular (very narrow banded) ocean / water waves

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2 Mechanical Vibrations – Single Degree-of-Freedom systems V. Rouillard © 2003 - 2020

Forced (harmonically excited) single DoF vibration

• Equation of motion when a force is applied to a viscously damped SDOF system is:

mx + cx + kx = F ( t )  non hom ogeneous differential eqn.

• The general solution to a nonhomogeneous DE is the sum if the homogeneous solution xh(t) and the particular solution
xp(t).
• The homogeneous solution represents the solution to the free SDOF which is known to decay over time for all conditions
(underdamped, critically damped and overdamped).
• The general solution therefore reduces to the particular solution xp(t) which represents the steady-state vibration which
exists as long as the forcing function is applied.

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3 Mechanical Vibrations – Single Degree-of-Freedom systems V. Rouillard © 2003 - 2020

Forced (harmonically excited) damped single DoF vibration

• Example of solution to harmonically excited damped SDOF system:

Homogenous solution: decaying vibration @ natural frequency

Particular solution: steady-state vibration @ excitation frequency

Complete solution

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4 Mechanical Vibrations – Single Degree-of-Freedom systems V. Rouillard © 2003 - 2020

Forced (harmonically excited) single DoF vibration – undamped.

• Let the forcing function acting on the mass of an undamped SDOF system be:

F( t ) = F0 cos( t )
• The eqn. of motion reduces to:
mx + kx = F0 cos( t )
• Where the homogeneous solution is:
xh ( t ) = C1 cos( n t ) + C2 sin( n t )
where n = k / m
• As the excitation is harmonic, the particular solution is also harmonic with the same frequency:
x p ( t ) = X cos( t )
• Substituting xp(t) in the eqn. of motion and solving for X gives:
F0
X=
k − m 2
• The complete solution becomes
F0
13:27:27 x( t ) = xh ( t ) + x p ( t ) = C1 cos( nt ) + C2 sin( nt ) + cos( t )
k − m 2
5 Mechanical Vibrations – Single Degree-of-Freedom systems V. Rouillard © 2003 - 2020

Forced (harmonically excited) single DoF vibration – undamped.

• Applying the initial conditions x( t = 0 ) = x0 and x( t = 0 ) = x0 gives:

F0 x
C1 = x0 − and C2 = 0
k − m 2 n

• The complete solution becomes:

 F0   x0  F0
x( t ) =  x0 − 2
cos( n t ) +   sin( n t ) + cos( t )
 k − m   n k − m 2

• The maximum amplitude of the steady-state solution can be written as:

X 1 F
= where  st = 0
 st 
2 k
1−  
 n 
• X/st is the ratio of the dynamic to the static amplitude and is known as the amplification factor or amplification ratio
and is dependent on the frequency ratio r = /n.

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6 Mechanical Vibrations – Single Degree-of-Freedom systems V. Rouillard © 2003 - 2020

Forced (harmonically excited) single DoF vibration – undamped.

X /  st
• When /n < 1 the denominator of the steady-state
amplitude is positive and the amplification factor
increases as  approaches the natural frequency
n. The response is in-phase with the excitation.

• When /n > 1 the denominator of the steady-state

amplitude is negative an the amplification factor is
redefined as:

X 1
= 
 st  
2 r=
n
  −1
 n
and the steady − state response becomes :
x p ( t ) = − X cos( t )
which shows that the response is out-of-phase with the
excitation and decreases (→ zero ) as  increases (→ )

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7 Mechanical Vibrations – Single Degree-of-Freedom systems V. Rouillard © 2003 - 2020

Forced (harmonically excited) single DoF vibration – undamped.

• When /n < 1 the denominator of the steady-state
amplitude is positive and the amplification factor
increases as  approaches the natural frequency
n. The response is in-phase with the excitation.

• When /n > 1 the denominator of the steady-state

amplitude is negative an the amplification factor is X /  st
redefined as:

X 1
=
 st  
2
  −1
 n
and the steady − state response becomes :
x p ( t ) = − X cos( t )
which shows that the response is out-of-phase with the
excitation and decreases (→ zero ) as  increases (→ )

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8 Mechanical Vibrations – Single Degree-of-Freedom systems V. Rouillard © 2003 - 2020

Forced (harmonically excited) single DoF vibration – undamped.

• When /n = 1 the denominator of the steady-state
amplitude is zero an the response becomes
infinitely large. This condition when =n is known
as resonance.

X /  st

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9 Mechanical Vibrations – Single Degree-of-Freedom systems V. Rouillard © 2003 - 2020

Forced (harmonically excited) single DoF vibration – undamped.

• The complete solution
 F0   x0  F0
x( t ) =  x0 −  cos( n t ) +   sin( n t ) + cos( t )
 k − m 
2
 n k − m 2

can be written as:

 st
x( t ) = Acos( n t +  ) + 2
cos( t ) for  / n  1
 
1−  
 n 
 st
x( t ) = Acos( n t +  ) − 2
cos( t ) for  / n  1
 
1−  
 n 
where A and  are functions of x0 and x0 as before.
• The complete solution is a sum of two cosines with frequencies corresponding to the natural and forcing (excitation)
frequencies.

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10 Mechanical Vibrations – Single Degree-of-Freedom systems V. Rouillard © 2003 - 2020

Forced (harmonically excited) single DoF vibration – undamped.

 /n < 1

 /n > 1

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11 Mechanical Vibrations – Single Degree-of-Freedom systems V. Rouillard © 2003 - 2020

Forced (harmonically excited) single DoF vibration – undamped.

• When the excitation frequency  is close but not exactly equal to the natural frequency n beating may occur.
• Letting the initial conditions x0= x’0 =0 , the complete solution:

 F0   x0  F0
x( t ) =  x0 − 2
cos( n t ) +   sin( n t ) + cos( t )
 k − m   n k − m 2

reduces to :
( F0 / m ) c os(  t ) − cos( t ) = ( F0 / m )  2 sin   + n  t   sin   − n  t 
x( t ) =        
(n −  )
2 2 n 2
(n −  ) 
2   2    2  
If we let the excitation frequency be slightly less than the natural frequency:
n −  = 2
where  is a small positive number. Then
n   and n +  = 2
therefore :
(n −  )(n +  ) = n2 −  2 = 4
Substituting for n −  , n +  and n2 −  2 in the complete solution yields :
( F0 / m ) sin  t  sin t
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x( t ) = ( ) ( )
( 2 )
12 Mechanical Vibrations – Single Degree-of-Freedom systems V. Rouillard © 2003 - 2020

Forced (harmonically excited) single DoF vibration – undamped.

( F0 / m ) sin  t  sin t
x( t ) = ( ) ( )
( 2 )
• Since  is small, sin( t) has a long period. The solution can then be considered as harmonic motion with a principal
frequency  an a variable amplitude equal to

( F0 / m ) sin  t
X(t ) = ( )
( 2 )

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