Translational Mechanical System Transfer

Functions

• Modeling of a mechanical system by a transfer

function, G(s)
• Create analogies between electrical and
mechanical systems by comparing Tables 2.3
and 2.4
 Table 2.3 Voltage-current, voltage-charge, and impedance
relationships for capacitors, resistors, and inductors

Component Voltage- Current- Voltage- Impedance Admittance

current voltage charge Z(s)=V(s)/I(s) Y(s)=I(s)/V(s)
Table 2.4 Force-velocity, force-displacement, and impedance translational
relationships for springs, viscous dampers, and mass
Component Voltage- Current- Voltage- Impedance Admittance
current voltage charge Z(s)=V(s)/I(s) Y(s)=I(s)/V(s)
 Where:
K- spring constant
fv-coefficient of viscous friction
M- mass

Analogies of table 2.3 and table2.4 :

1. Mechanical force is analogous to electrical voltage.
2. Mechanical velocity is analogous to electric current.
3.Mechanical displacement is analogous to electrical charge.
4. Spring is analogous to the capacitor
5. Viscous damper is analogous to the resistor.
6. Mass is analogous to the inductor.
Thus, summing forces in terms of velocity is analogous to
summing voltages written in terms of current, and the resulting
mechanical differential equations are analogous to mesh
equations.
Another analogy by comparing force-velocity and
current-voltage column in reverse order:

1. Mechanical force is analogous to current.

2. Mechanical velocity is analogous to voltage.
3. The spring is analogous to the inductor.
4. The viscous damper is analogous to the resistor.
5. The mass is analogous to the capacitor.
Thus, summing forces in terms of velocity is analogous
to summing currents written in terms of voltage and the
resulting mechanical equations are analogous to nodal
equations.
Steps in modeling a mechanical system:

1. Provide correct FBD

2. Establish the differential equation that
will describe the system by using
Newton’s laws of motion.
Example 1: Transfer Function – One Equation of Motion
Find the transfer Function, X(s)/F(s), for the system of
figure 2.15a.

Figure 2.15 a. Mass, spring, and damper system; b. block diagram

 Solution:
STEP 1. Provide correct FBD and assume that the body is moving to the right.

Figure 2.16 a. Free-body diagram of mass, spring, and damper system;

b. transformed free-body diagram

Where: f(t)- applied force (input) in Newton

x(t)- displacement (output) in meter
Kx(t)-reaction force of the spring
fv dx(t)/dt-reaction force of the viscous damper
M d2x(t)/dt2- reverse effective force
STEP 2. Summing forces equal to zero

M d2x(t)/dt2 + fv dx(t)/dt +Kx(t)=f(t)

Taking the Laplace transform,

Ms2X(s) +fvsX(s) + KX(s)= F(s)

(Ms2 + fvs + K)X(s)= F(s)

X(s)/F(s)= 1/(Ms2 + fvs + K)

Where: G(s)=X(s)/F(s)

Therefore, G(s)=1/(Ms2 + fvs + K)

Note: Ms2 –Mechanical impedance of the mass

fvs - Mechanical impedance of the viscous damper
 Example 2: Find the transfer function, X2(s)/ F(s), for the system
in figure 2.17(a).

Figure 2.17 a. Two-degrees-of-freedom translational mechanical

system; b. block diagram
 Solution:
1.Construct FBD of M1 due only to its own motion {refer to fig. 2.18 (a) }.
2. Construct FBD of M1 due only to motion of M2 {refer to fig 2.18 (b) }.
3. Combine fig 2.18 (a) and 2.19 (b).
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 for mass M2

Figure 2.18 a.) Forces on M1 due only to motion of M1 b.) forces on M1

due only to motion of M2 c.) all forces on M1
Figure 2.19 a. Forces on M2 due only to motion of M2; b. forces on M2
due only to motion of M1; c. all forces on M2
Summing forces horizontal equal to zero,

[ M1s2 + (fv1 + fv3)s + (K1 + K2)] X1(s) - (fv3s + K2) X2(s)= F(s) 1

-(fv3s + K2) X1(s) + [M2s2 + (fv2 +fv3)s + ( K2 + K3)] X2(s) = 0 2

Answer= To be solved
Skill-Assessment Exercise 2.8
Problem: Find the transfer function, G(s)=X2(s)/F(s) for the
translational mechanical system shown in figure 2.21.

Figure 2.21 Translational mechanical system for Skill-Assessment

Exercise 2.8
Answer: G(s)= (3s + 1)/ s3 + 7s2 + 5s + 1)s
•Solutions to Equations Using Determinants
(Cramer’s Rule)- Review

for a system of linear equation,

x=Dx/D ; y=Dy/D ; ….
where:
D- determinant of the coefficient of variable
Dx- determinant taken from D replacing the
coefficients of x by their corresponding
constant terms leaving all other terms
unchanged
Dy- determinant taken from D replacing the
coefficients of y by their corresponding
constant terms leaving all other terms
unchanged
 Electric Network Transfer Functions
Mesh Analysis General Procedure:
1. Replace passive element values with their
impedances.
2. Replace all sources and time variables with their
Laplace transform.
3. Assume a transform current and a current direction in
each mesh.
4. Write Kirchhoff’s voltage law around each mesh.
5. Solve the simultaneous equations for the output.
6. Form the transfer function.
 Table 2.3 Voltage-current, voltage-charge, and impedance
relationships for capacitors, resistors, and inductors

Component Voltage- Current- Voltage- Impedance Admittance

current voltage charge Z(s)=V(s)/I(s) Y(s)=I(s)/V(s)
Example ) Electric Network Transfer functions

Find the transfer function, G(s)=VL(s)/V(s), for the

circuit given in Fig. 1 using mesh analysis and nodal
analysis without writing a differential equation.

Figure 1
RLC network
Solution:
Nodal Analysis General Procedure:
1. Replace passive element values with
their admittances
2.Replace all sources and time variables
with their Laplace transform.
3. Replace transformed voltage sources
with transformed current sources.
4. Write Kirchhoff’s current law at each
node.
5. Solve the simultaneous equations for
the output.
6. Form the transfer function.