B5.

8EC1

HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Degree of BEng Mechanical Engineering

Degree of MEng Mechanical Engineering
Degree of BEng Mechanical Engineering & Energy Engineering
Degree of MEng Mechanical Engineering & Energy Engineering
Degree of BEng Automotive Engineering
Degree of BEng Robotics & Cybertronics
Degree of MEng Robotics & Cybertronics

Second Year

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE 3

17 December 2008 13:30 – 15:30

Answer TWO questions from each Section A and B

Section A - Dynamics
Section B – Strength of Materials
 B5.8EC1

SECTION A

Q1. A steel roller is anchored by a steel bar through its rotational axis. The steel
bar is fixed on a wall. The roller is put on a conveyer belt and then starts to
rotate due to the motion of the conveyer belt. The radius of the roller is 50 mm
and its mass is 100kg. The positions of the fixed point and roller’s rotational
axis, and the moving direction of the conveyer belt are shown in Figure Q1.
The friction coefficient between the roller and conveyer belt is 0.5.

(a) Draw the free body diagram of the steel roller. [5 marks]

(b) Determine the friction force acting on the roller. [5 marks]

(c) Determine the rotational acceleration of the roller. [5 marks]

(d) If the speed of the conveyer belt is v = 5m/s, determine the number of
turns for the roller to reach its maximum rotational speed. [5 marks]

(e) Determine the maximum rotational speed of the roller. [5 marks]

Note: Mass moment of inertia for a cylinder (mass m, radius R) about its
1
rotational axis, I = mR 2
2

α
0.5m R = 50mm

Roller (solid steel)

0.4m Mass, m = 100kg

µ = 0.5

Figure Q1

Q2./
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Q2. A wheel and its axle can be regarded as one rigid body, shown in Figure Q2.
It has a mass of 5 kg and a radius of gyration about the polar axis of 75 mm. It
is attached to a spring of stiffness 300 N/m. The wheel and its axle are
released from rest when the spring extension is 150 mm. Assume that
slipping does not occur and that the friction force between the wheel axle and
the inclined surface can be ignored.

Determine:

(a) the mass moment of inertia of the wheel and its axle
(as one rigid body); [3 marks]

(b) draw the free body diagram of the wheel and its axle
(as one rigid body); [5 marks]

(c) the total length of the spring extension when the wheel
reaches its maximum angular velocity; [5 marks]

(d) the maximum angular velocity of the wheel and its axle. [12 marks]

300 N/m

10°

Figure Q2

Q3./
 B5.8EC1

Q3. A mass m1 = 0.5 kg drops onto the lever AB from a position 0.25m above
point B without rebound. The initial deflection of the spring due to the weight
of the lever is 4.5 mm. The total length of the lever L is 0.11 m, from the
spring to the fixed rotational point L1= 0.08 m, from the spring to the end of
bar L2 = 0.03 m. The mass of the lever mAB is 2 kg, The spring constant of
the spring is 1300N/m.
.
(a) Determine the velocity of the mass m1 just before it impacts on the
lever AB. [4 marks]

(b) Prove that the mass moment of inertia of the lever AB rotating about A
L2
is I AB = m AB
3
by showing your calculation starting with the definition of mass moment
of inertia: [5 marks]

(c) Calculate the rotational speed of whole system just after m1 drops on
the lever AB.
[6 marks]

(d) Calculate the maximum deflection of the spring. [10 marks]

m1=0.5kg

0.25m
L1 = 0.08m
L2 = 0.03m
L = 011m

A B

x
mAB=2kg
k=1300N/m

Figure Q3

Q4. Section B/
 B5.8EC1

SECTION B

Q4. A simply supported beam is loaded as shown in Figure Q4. The weight of the
beam itself can be ignored and the beam has a constant cross-section.

(a) Use the sections method to calculate an expression for the bending
moment in each section of the beam as a function of x (the distance
along the beam from the left-hand end). You may use Macaulay's
method or not, as you prefer.

Illustrate your answer with relevant free body diagrams for the whole
beam and each section of the beam. [14 marks]

(b) Sketch the bending moment distribution along the beam (i.e. you DO
NOT need to use graph paper). Mark important values on the graph,
including labels for the axes and the values of bending moment at the
beam ends and at the discontinuities in the beam loading. [6 marks]

(c) The beam has a circular cross-section. Calculate the minimum

diameter required to ensure that the longitudinal stress σx in the beam
nowhere exceeds 75 MN/m2. [5 marks]

40kN 10kN/m

2m 2m 2m

Q5./
 B5.8EC1

Q5. A simply-supported beam of length 3 m is loaded as shown in Figure Q5. It

carries a vertical point load of 6 kN at 2 m from the left-hand end. The weight
of the beam itself can be ignored and the beam has a constant cross-section.

(a) Using Macaulay's method, write an expression for the bending moment
as a function of x (the distance along the beam from the left-hand end).
[8 marks]

(b) Show that the deflection of the beam is given by:

− EIv = 0.33x 3 − [x − 2] − 2.67 x

3

[9 marks]

Note: You are NOT required to sketch the bending moment distribution or the
deflected shape of the beam in parts (a) or (b).

(c) Determine an expression for the position of the maximum deflection.

Use the fact that the maximum deflection occurs in the longest section
of the beam (i.e. x < 2m) to obtain your answer. [5 marks]

(d) Hence calculate the maximum deflection of the beam. [3 marks]

6 kN
2m

3m

Figure Q5

Q6./
 B5.8EC1

Q6. An axial load is applied to a steel strut of length 2 m, where the lower end is
fixed and the upper end is free, Figure Q6. The square cross-section of the
strut is also shown in the figure, and has outer dimensions of 100 mm.
Assume that E = 200 GN/m2 and yield stress σys = 350 MN/m2 for the steel.

(a) What is the minimum thickness, t, of the strut section required to

ensure that it does not collapse due to buckling if the applied axial load
is 350 kN? [13 marks]

(b) Why would a strut with this minimum thickness most probably buckle in
a real application? [4 marks]

(c) It is proposed to make the strut shorter. What is the shortest length for
which buckling, rather than yielding, is the limiting failure mode?
[8 marks]

350 kN
100 mm

100 mm
2m

Cross-section of strut

Figure Q6