Transfer Function Study

By Tom Irvine
Email: tom@[Link]

October 23, 2013

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to compare two methods for deriving transfer functions for relative
displacement over acceleration.

Consider a semi-definite system is a system that has a rigid-body mode as well as an elastic body
mode. The rigid-body frequency is zero.

Consider two masses connected by a spring.

x1 x2
k

m m
1 2

Figure 1.

The kinetic energy is

1 1
T m1x 12  m 2 x 2 2 (1)
2 2

The potential energy is

1
U k ( x1  x 2 ) 2 (2)
2

d
 T  U  0 (3)
dt

1
 d 1 2 1 2 1 2
 m1x 1  m 2 x 2  k ( x1  x 2 )   0 (4)
dt  2 2 2 

m1x 1x 1  m 2 x 2 x 2  k ( x1  x 2 ) x 1  k ( x1  x 2 ) x 2  0 (5)

 m1x1  k(x1  x 2 ) x 1   m 2 x 2  k(x1  x 2 ) x 2  0 (6)

Equation (6) yields two equations.

 m1x1  k ( x1  x 2 ) x 1  0 (7)

 m 2 x 2  k (x1  x 2 ) x 2  0 (8)

Divide through by the respective velocity terms

m1x 1  k ( x1  x 2 )  0 (9)

m 2 x 2  k ( x1  x 2 )  0 (10)

Assemble the equations in matrix form.

m1 0   x 1   k  k   x1  0

Seek a solution of the form

x  q exp j t  (12)

The q vector is the generalized coordinate vector.

x   2 q exp j t  (14)

2
By substitution
  2 M q exp j t   K q exp j t   0 (15)

 2 M q  K q exp j t   0 (16)

 n 2 M q  K q  0 (17)

 2 M  K q  0 (18)

det  K  2 M   0 (19)

 k  k  m 0 
det    2  1   0 (20)
  k k   0 m 2 


 k   m1 
2

 k  m 2 
2 2
 
k  0
 (21)

k 2  k 2  m 1 m 2   4 m 1m 2  k 2  0 (22)

 k  2  m 1 m 2    4 m 1m 2  0 (23)

 2  k  m 1 m 2    2 m 1m 2   0 (24)
 

Thus the first root is

1  0 (25)

f1  0 (26)

3
Find the second root

 k  m  m    2 m m   0
 1 2 1 2  (27)

k  m 1 m 2 
2  (28)
m 1m 2

k  m 1 m 2 
2  (29)
m 1m 2

1 k  m 1 m 2 
f2  (30)
2 m 1m 2

Prescribed Motion

Calculate the response of the system for a enforced acceleration x1 .

Let
z = x2 – x1 (31)

Substitute equation (31) into (11).

 m1 0  x 1    z  0 
m m   z   k  z   0 (32)
 2 2     

The equation of motion is thus

m 2z  kz  m 2 x 1 (33)

 k 
z   z  x 1 (34)
 m2 

k
n  (35)
m2

4
Include damping.

z  2n z   n 2 z  x 1 (36)

x  A exp jt  (37)

z  Z exp jt  (38)

n 2  2  j 2n  Z exp jt   A exp jt  (39)

 n 2  2  j 2n   Z  A (40)

The relative displacement over acceleration transfer function is

Z 1
 (41)
A  n 2   2  j 2n 

Z 1

A  k  k (42)
    2  j 2
 m2  m2

Applied Force Case

x1 x2
F k 5
m m
1 2
 Figure 2.

Assemble the equations in matrix form.

m1 0   x 1   k  k   x1  F

 
 v̂12 ŵ12 
X1()  
2 2

2 2
B̂  (44)
 
 1    j 2 1 1  2    j 2  2  2


 
 v̂1v̂ 2 ŵ1ŵ 2 
X 2 ()  
2

2 B̂  (45)
 2 2
 1    j 2 1 1  2    j 2  2  2 


Thus the first root is

1  0 (46)

Find the second root

 k  m  m    2 m m   0
 1 2 1 2  (47)

6
 k  m 1 m 2 
2  (48)
m 1m 2

k  m 1 m 2 
2  (49)
m 1m 2

 m2 
 1 
1  m1 
Q (50)
m1  m 2  m1 
1  
 m 2 

 v̂ ŵ1 
Q̂   1  (51)
 v̂ 2 ŵ 2 

  m2  
   
1  1  m1  
X1 ()   2

2 2
B̂  (52)
m1  m 2     2    j 2  2  2 
 
 

 1 1 
1  
X 2 ()   2

2 2
B̂  (53)
m1  m 2        j 2   2
 2 2 

X 2 ()  X1 ()

B̂ 
  m2  
 1     
1  1  1  1  m1  
     
m1  m 2    2 2 2 m1  m 2 2 2 2
  2    j 2  2  2     2    j 2  2  2 
 
 

(54)

7
  m  
 1   2  
X 2 ()  X1 () 1   m1  
  2  (55)
B̂  2
m1  m 2      j 2  2  2 
2
 
 

k  m 1 m 2 
2  (56)
m 1m 2

  m2  
   
X1 () 1  1 m
 1 
    (57)
B̂  m1  m 2    2  2   2  j 2  2  2 
2
 
 

Let X̂1 () be the acceleration.

  m2  
2    
X̂1 ()   1  m1  
    (58)
B̂  m1  m 2    2 2 2
 2    j 2  2  2 
 
 

 m  
   2  2  
X̂1 () 1   m1  
 1   (59)
B̂  2 2
m1  m 2      j 2  2  2 
2
 
 

The relative displacement with respect to the acceleration at dof 1 is

8
  m  
 1   2  
1   m1  
 
X 2 ()  X1 () m1  m 2   2   2  j 2  2  2 
2
B̂   
  
(60)
X̂1 ()   m  
   2  2  
B̂  1   m1  
1  2 2

m1  m 2      j 2  2  2 
2
 
 

 m  
 1   2  
  m1  
 2 2

  2    j 2  2  2 
X 2 ()  X1 ()  
  
(61)
X̂1 ()  m  
   2  2  

1   m1  
 2 2

  2    j 2  2  2 
 
 

 m  
 1   2  
  m1  
 2 2

 2    j 2  2 2 
X 2 ()  X1 ()  
  
(62)
X̂1 ()  2 2 2  m 2  
  2        j 2  2  2 
  m1  
 2 2

 2    j 2  2 2 
 
 

The relative displacement with respect to the acceleration at dof 1 derived from the applied force
case is finally

m 
1   2 
X 2 ()  X1 ()  m1 
 (63)
X̂1 ()  k  m 1 m 2   2  m 2  k  m 1 m 2 
    1    j2 2 
 m 1m 2   m1  m 1m 2

9
Again, the relative displacement transfer function for the enforced motion is

Z 1

A  k  k (64)
   2  j 2
 m2  m2

The transfer functions do not match.

Equation (64) should be used for a true enforced acceleration.

Reference

1. T. Irvine, The Energy Method, Rev C, Vibrationdata, 2002.

10