ADDIS ABABA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

College of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Vibration
MEng5103
Dr. Abdulbasit M.
 1.1 Introduction

1.2 Fundamentals of Vibration

BASICS OF VIBRATION 1.3 Causes and Effects of Vibrations

1.4 Elimination/Reduction of the Vibrations

1.5 Classification of vibration

1.6 Simple Harmonic Motion

1.7 Terminologies of Vibration

1.8 Free and Forced Vibration

1.9 Undamped and Damped Vibration

 Learning Objectives

 After completing this chapter, the student should be able to do the following:

 Describe briefly the definition of mechanical vibration

 Indicate the importance of the study of vibration

 Give various classifications of vibration

 State the steps involved in vibration analysis

 understanding the cuases and effect of vibration

 Define SHM & different possible representations of harmonic motion
 1.1 Introduction
▪ What is the Vibration?
✓ Vibration refers to the oscillatory motion of an object around
an equilibrium position. This motion can occur in various
forms and can be described by several key characteristics:

▪ Characteristics of Vibration
✓ Frequency: The number of oscillations or cycles per unit time,
usually measured in Hertz (Hz).
✓ Amplitude: The maximum displacement from the
equilibrium position, indicating the extent of the
vibration.

✓ Damping: The effect of energy loss in a vibrating system,

which can cause the amplitude to decrease over time.

✓ Period: The time taken to complete one full cycle of

vibration.
 1.2 Fundamental Concepts in Mech. Vibration

✓ Mechanical vibration is a fundamental concept in

engineering and physics, with significant implications for
the design, operation, and maintenance of mechanical
systems.
✓ Proper analysis and management of mechanical
vibrations are essential for enhancing performance and
ensuring safety.
✓ It occurs when an object moves back and forth around
an equilibrium position due to forces acting upon it.
✓ This motion can be periodic (regular and repetitive) or
random.
✓ This type of vibration can occur in various contexts, such
as machinery, structures, and vehicles.
▪ Components of Mechanical Vibration:
✓ Mass: The object that is vibrating.
✓ Spring: Provides restoring force that brings the mass
back to equilibrium.
✓ Damping: Mechanism that dissipates energy, reducing
the amplitude of vibration over time.
 1.3 Causes and Effects of Vibrations

A. Causes of vibrations

Some of the common causes of vibrations are:-

❑ Alignment Problems
✓ When two or more rotating machines are connected, the
correct alignment is crucial.
✓ Typical alignment errors are:
▪ Parallel misalignment: The shaft center
lines are parallel but are not in line.
✓ This can be both horizontal and vertical.
✓ Parallel misalignment is also known as
offset misalignment.
▪ Angular misalignment: The shafts meet at
a point, but are not parallel.
✓ It is also known as gap misalignment.
▪ Combined parallel-angular misalignment:
✓A combination of both parallel and
angular misalignment.
✓It is the most common misalignment.

❑ Unbalance
✓ When the center of gravity of a rotating object is not exactly in
the center line, it causes machine unbalance resulting in
vibration.
✓ When a machine is unbalanced, it can cause damage to the
machine itself, the foundation, pipes, etc.
✓ There are three types of unbalance: static unbalance, coupled
unbalance and dynamic unbalance.
❑ Static unbalance:
✓ It is when the center of gravity axis is not in line with the
center of rotation, and the heavy spot and the center of
gravity are in the same plane.
✓ It can result from a parallel displacement of the principal
mass axis relative to the shaft center line and can be caused
by non-symmetric mass distribution or deformation.
✓ When static unbalance and friction are zero, gravity will turn
the heavy side downwards.
❑ Coupled unbalance

✓ It appears when a rotating object has two or more

unbalanced masses in different planes, that equal each other

out in rest position.

✓ The principal mass axis is no longer parallel to the center of

gravity but crosses the center of gravity axis.

 ✓ When the system starts to rotate, these masses will be

influenced by centrifugal forces, resulting in vibration.

❑ Dynamic unbalance:

➢ It is the most common type of unbalance and the result of

static and coupled unbalance.

➢ The principal mass axis is displaced and not parallel to the

shaft center line.

❑ Friction

✓ Dry friction between the two mating surfaces also produces

vibration which is also called self-excited vibration.

❑ External excitation

✓ External forces imposed to any system can also produce

vibrations in the system.

✓ These excitations may be periodic, random or of the nature of
impact produced external to the vibration system.
❑ Flow-induced vibration
✓ It is the oscillations of structures immersed in or conveying
fluid flow as a result of an interaction between the fluid-
dynamic forces and the inertia, damping, and elastic forces in
the structures.
❑ Earthquakes
✓ Ground motion created by earthquake or another effect also
produces vibration in the system and may lead to the failure
of structures.
❑ Wind
✓ Wind blowing on a surface of any structure can produce
significant vibration.
✓ It may also cause transmission and telephone lines
vibrations under certain conditions.
B. Effects of Vibration
(a)Bad Effects:
▪ The presence of vibration in any mechanical system
produces unwanted noise, high stresses, poor
reliability, wear, and premature failure of parts
▪ Vibrations are a great source of human discomfort
in the form of physical and mental strains
(b) Good Effect
▪ A vibration does useful work in musical instruments,
Vibrating screens, relive pain in physiotherapy
 1.4 Methods to reduce vibrations

❑ Elimination or reduction of the undesirable vibrations can

be obtained by one or more of the following methods
a. Removing the cause of vibrations

b. Putting in screens if noise is the only objection

c. Resting the machinery in the proper type of isolators

d. Shock absorbers

e. Dynamic vibration absorbers

 1.5 Classification of the Mechanical Vibration
▪ The Mechanical vibrations may broadly be classified as the
following
1. Free and forced vibration
2. Linear and nonlinear vibration
3. Damped and undamped vibration
4. Deterministic and random vibration
5. Longitudinal, transverse, & torsional vibration
 1.6 Simple Harmonic Motion

❑ SHM is typified by the motion of a mass

on a spring when it is subject to the
linear elastic restoring force given by
Hooke's Law.

❑ The motion is sinusoidal in time and

demonstrates a single resonant
frequency.
❑ The displacement of the oscillating mass varies sinusoidally as a
function of time.

❑ The circular functions, sin or cosine can represent the

instantaneous position of a particle undergoing SHM.
y(t) = A cosωt
❑ Where A is the cycle’s amplitude, defined as the maximum
displacement from the equilibrium position.
❑ Since the circular function repeats itself in 2π radians and takes a
time interval of T (ωT = 2π)
 𝟐𝝅
𝑻=
𝝎
❑ Where T is the period of the cycle measured in s and ω
is the circular frequency of the oscillation measured in
rad/s.
❑ Similarly, the frequency of oscillation f which is the
number of cycles measured in Hz can be expressed as.
𝟏 𝝎
f= =
𝑻 𝟐𝝅
❑ Velocity and acceleration of the vibrating particle can
be determined by the successive differentiation of
displacement.
 Importance of the Study of Vibration
✓ The study of vibration is a critical field in engineering,
physics, and various applied sciences due to its wide-ranging
implications for the design, performance, safety, and
longevity of mechanical and structural systems.

✓ Some key reasons why vibration analysis is important:

1. Design and Optimization of Machines and Structures
✓ Mechanical Systems

✓ Material Selection

✓ Resonance Avoidance

2. Predictive Maintenance
✓ Condition Monitoring

✓ Early Detection of Faults

3. Energy Efficiency
✓ Minimizing Energy Losses

✓ Vibration Harvesting

4. Extended Equipment Life

✓ Fatigue and Wear Reduction

✓ Component Design
5. Control of Dynamic Systems

✓ Active and Passive Control

✓ Dynamic Balancing

6. Extended Equipment Life

✓ Fatigue and Wear Reduction

✓ Component Design
5. Control of Dynamic Systems

✓ Active and Passive Control

✓ Dynamic Balancing

6. Extended Equipment Life

✓ Fatigue and Wear Reduction

✓ Component Design
 1.7 Terminologies of Vibration

❑ Periodic motion: A motion which repeats itself after equal

intervals of time.
▪ Any periodic motion can be represented by function x (t) in the period T.
the function x(t) is called periodic function

❑ Time period:- Time taken to complete one cycle

❑ Frequency:- The number of cycles per unit time

❑ Natural frequency:- When no external force acts on the system
after giving it an initial displacement, the body vibrates. These
vibrations are called free vibrations and their frequency as
natural frequency.

❑ Amplitude:- The max displacement of a vibrating body from its

equilibrium position is called amplitude.
❑ Fundamental mode of vibration:- The fundamental mode of
vibration of the system is the mode having the lowest natural
frequency.

❑ Resonance:- When the frequency of external excitation is equal to

the natural frequency of the vibrating body, the amplitude of
vibration becomes excessively large. This concept is known as
resonance.
❑ Mechanical systems:- The systems consisting of mass shiftiness
and damping are known as mechanical systems.

❑ Continuous and discrete systems:- Most of the mechanical

systems include elastic members which have infinite number of
degrees of freedom are called continuous systems.

Continuous systems are also known as distributed systems

 Systems with finite number of degrees of freedom are called
discrete or lumped systems.

❑ Phase difference:- It is the angle between two rotating vectors

representing simple harmonic motion of the same frequency
 Degree of freedom (DOF)

❖ The minimum number kinematically independent coordinates

required to define the motion of every particle of the system.

❖ A set of kinetically independent coordinates is defined by a set

of appropriate generalized coordinates.

❖ DOF of any system is unique, but the set of generalized

coordinates may not be unique.
❖ A particle on space can have a maximum of three DOF , i.e., three
displacements u, v and w along the three mutually perpendicular
directions x, y and z.

❖ If its motion is constrained, then its DOF will be less than three.

❖A simple pendulum can swing on a plane, and its

displacement from the equilibrium position can be described by
θ and hence has one DOF.
❖ Similarly, a mass attached to a spring can move in only one
direction on a plane and

❖ Its displacement from the equilibrium position can be described

by x, and hence it also has one DOF
❖ A system consisting of two particles connected by a spring
has two DOF.

❖ A continuous body will require an infinite number of co-

ordinates to describe its motion; hence its DOF must be
infinite.
❖ Any rigid body on space can have a maximum of six DOF, i.e.,
three displacements u, v and w along the three mutually
perpendicular directions x, y and z and three rotations θx, θy and
θz along x, y and z.

❖ Any rigid body undergoing general plane motion can have a

maximum of three DOF, i.e., two displacements u and v along x
and y and one rotation θx about the z axis.
 1. Free and Forced Vibration

✓ If a system, after an initial disturbance, is left to vibrate on its

own, the ensuing vibration is known as free vibration. No
external force acts on the system.
✓ The oscillation of a simple pendulum is an example of free
vibration.
✓ If a system is subjected to an external force (often, a
repeating type of force), the resulting vibration is known as
forced vibration.
✓ The oscillation that arises in machines such as diesel engines
is an example of forced vibration.
 2. Linear and nonlinear vibration

✓ If all the basic components of a vibratory system—the spring, the

mass, and the damper behave linearly, the resulting vibration is
known as linear vibration.

✓ If, however, any of the basic components behave nonlinearly, the

vibration is called nonlinear vibration.
✓ The differential equations that govern the behavior of linear and
nonlinear vibratory systems are linear and nonlinear, respectively.

✓ If the vibration is linear, the principle of superposition holds, and

the mathematical techniques of analysis are well developed.

✓ For nonlinear vibration, the superposition principle is not valid,

and techniques of analysis are less well known.
 3. Deterministic and random vibration

✓ If the value or magnitude of the excitation (force or motion)

acting on a vibratory system is known at any given time, the
excitation is called deterministic.

✓ The resulting vibration is known as deterministic vibration.

✓ The excitation is nondeterministic or random; the value of
the excitation at a given time cannot be predicted.
 3. Undamped and damped

✓ If no energy is lost or dissipated in friction or other resistance

during oscillation, the vibration is known as undamped
vibration.

✓ If any energy is lost due to friction or resistance, causing the

amplitude to decrease over time however, it is called
damped vibration, (e.g., a vibrating guitar string).