Scribd
Upload
422 views

Logarithmic Decrement Method PDF

The document describes the logarithmic decrement method for determining the damping factor (ξ) of a mass-spring damper system from its response data. It explains that ξ provides information about whether the system will oscillate and how quickly oscillations will decay. It presents equations to calculate ξ using the natural log of the ratio between the amplitudes of two successive peaks, the damped natural period, and an approximation that is valid for ξ ≤ 0.2.

Uploaded by

John DeezNuts
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
422 views

Logarithmic Decrement Method PDF

The document describes the logarithmic decrement method for determining the damping factor (ξ) of a mass-spring damper system from its response data. It explains that ξ provides information about whether the system will oscillate and how quickly oscillations will decay. It presents equations to calculate ξ using the natural log of the ratio between the amplitudes of two successive peaks, the damped natural period, and an approximation that is valid for ξ ≤ 0.2.

Uploaded by

John DeezNuts
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

EM 311M: Dynamics

Using the Logarithmic Decrement Method for Determining the Damping Factor,ξ
We can determine the damping factor, ξ , for a mass-spring damper system by analyzing
its response data, i.e., the data for the mass displacement (x) vs. time. Remember that ξ
is directly proportional to the viscous damping coefficient, b. It provides a convenient
way to identify whether or not the system will oscillate, i.e., if ξ < 1, the system oscillates.
For systems that oscillate, ξ provides a measure of how quickly the oscillations decay.
Oscillatory systems have a damping factor that is between 0 and 1, i.e., 0 < ξ <1 and as ξ
increases, the oscillations decay more quickly.

Let’s look at the response of a system that has decaying oscillations

1
2
exponential envelope

u1 u2

final mass displacement

Td

t1 t2

Select two successive peaks, point 1 and point 2. Using the equation for the exponential envelope, we can get the
amplitude of the oscillations, u1 and u2, as measured from the final value of the displacement (red line above.)

u1  eξωnt1 u2  eξωnt2

Forming a ratio and taking the natural logarithm of both sides, we get an equation for the decrement, δ

u 
δ  ln 1   ξωnTd
 u2 

Where Td is the damped natural period, whose equation is

2π
Td 
ωn 1  ξ 2

Using the Logarithmic Decrement Method for Determining the Damping Factor,
EM 311M: Dynamics
Substituting into the equation for δ, we have

2πξ u 
δ  ln 1 
1ξ 2
 u2 

Solving for ξ and approximating that δ  2πξ (for ξ values less than or equal to 0.2)

1  u1 
ξ ln 
2π  u2 

Use the above equation to estimate the value of ξ. Note from above that this approximation is valid for ξ<0.2, so for larger
ξ values there will be more error.

Using the Logarithmic Decrement Method for Determining the Damping Factor,

You might also like