M.E.S.
College of Engineering, Pune-411001
NAME OF STUDENT: CLASS:
SEMESTER/YEAR: ROLL NO:
DATE OF PERFORMANCE: DATE OF SUBMISSION:
EXAMINED BY: EXPERIMENT NO:
TITLE: Logarithmic Decrement
AIM: To determine the natural frequency of damped vibrations of single degree of freedom
system and to find its damping co-efficient.
OBJECTIVE:
1. To study damp natural frequency.
2. To study torsional damping coefficient.
THEORY:
Figure No. 1 shows the Displacement Time plot of an Under-damped system. Consider two
points A and B corresponding to the times ‘tA’ and ‘tB’, where:
(tB – tA) = 2 -----(1)
(1- ).n
2
If we look at the equation for an under-damped system, the amplitude of the damped oscillation
is given by the expression:
X0. e- n t -----(2)
1-2
This is the envelope of the maximum of the displacement-time curve. It is shown as a dotted
curve in the fig. Now the height of the displacement-time curve at t = tA is equal to the height of
the envelope at the same time.
Therefore,
xA = X0. e- n tB -----(3)
1-2
And:
XB = X0. e- n tA -----(4)
1-2
Dividing one by the other,
n (tB – tA)
(xA / xB) = e -----(5)
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M.E.S. College of Engineering, Pune-411001
But, we know that:
(tB – tA) = 2 -----(6)
1-2 n
Therefore,
2 / 1-2
x A / xB = e
Log e (xA / xB) = 2
1-2
This is called Logarithmic Decrement and is denoted by .
Therefore,
= Log e (xA / xB) = 2 -----(7)
1-2
This shows that the ratio of any two successive amplitudes for an under-damped system,
vibrating freely, is constant and is a function of the damping only. For small values of the
above equation reduces to:
= 2
The logarithmic decrement is also given by the equation
= (1/n) log e (x0 / xn) -----(8)
Where ‘x0’ represents the amplitude at a particular maxima and ‘xn’ represents the amplitude
after a further ‘n’ cycles.
x B
Figure No. 1: Displacement Time plot of an Under-damped system
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M.E.S. College of Engineering, Pune-411001
EXPERIMENTAL SETUP:
The figure No. 2 shows a general arrangement of the experiment. It consists of a long elastic
wire gripped at upper end by a chuck in bracket. The bracket is clamped to upper beam of
mainframe. A heavy steel flywheel is mounted at the lower end of the wire suspended from
bracket. Damping drum is fixed from lower face of flywheel. This drum is immersed in oil,
which provides damping. The oil container can be moved up or down for varying the depth of
immersion. Depth of immersion can be read from the scale. The recording drum is mounted to
the upper face of the flywheel. A paper is to be wrapped around this recording drum. Oscillations
are recorded on paper by means of a pen attached to the piston and dashpot. The piston moves
down with constant velocity when released.
PROCEDURE:
1. For Air Damping:
(a) Note that no oil is there in the container.
(b) Fix the paper on the recording drum by means of paper clips.
(c) Insert the sketch pen in the holder connected to the dashpot.
(d) Give a small twist to the flywheel and allow it to oscillate.
(e) Allow sketch pen to descend and take precaution that sketch pen always makes contact
with the paper.
(f) Measure time for 5 oscillations with stopwatch.
2. For Oil Damping:
(a) Fill the container with oil.
(b) Check the oil level in the container.
(c) Depth of immersion can be varied by moving the container up or down.
(d) Fix the paper on the recording drum by means of paper clips.
(e) Insert the sketch pen in the holder connected to the dashpot.
(f) Give a small twist to the flywheel and allow it to oscillate.
(g) Allow sketch pen to descend and take precaution that sketch pen always makes contact
with the paper.
(h) Measure time for 5 oscillations with stopwatch.
SPECIFICATIONS:
1. Wire rod diameter (d) = 4mm
2. Length of wire rod (l) = 1025mm
3. Thickness of flywheel (t) = 10mm
4.
Modulus of Rigidity of steel (G) = 80×109 N/m2
5.
Density of steel () = 7800 kg/m3
6. Radius of flywheel (R) = 175mm
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M.E.S. College of Engineering, Pune-411001
7. Mass of upper drum (mu) = 0.25 kg
8. Mass of lower drum (ml) = 0.5 kg
9. Radius of upper drum (Ru) = 115mm
10. Radius of lower drum (Rl) = 86.5mm
11. Mass of flywheel disc (M) = 8.075 kg
OBSERVATION TABLE:
Sr. No. Description Time For 5 Oscillations (sec)
1. Air Damping
2. Oil Damping
RESULT TABLE:
Sr. Damped Natural Frequency (Hz) Torsional Damping
Description
No. Theoretical Experimental Coefficient (Nm-s/rad)
1. Air Damping
2. Oil Damping
CONCLUSION:
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M.E.S. College of Engineering, Pune-411001
QUESTIONS:
1. What do you understand by Damped Free Vibrations?
2. What are the different types of Damping?
3. What is Under-damping, Over-damping and Critical Damping?
4. Give the applications of Critical Damping.
5. Define the following terms:
(a) Damping Co-efficient
(b) Damping Factor
(c) Critical Damping Co-efficient
6. State the units of Damping Co-efficient for Linear and Torsional systems.
7. Write down the fundamental differential equation of motion for a Single Degree of
Freedom System having Free Vibrations with Viscous Damping. Also derive the
Characteristic Equation of the system.
8. Define Logarithmic Decrement. What is its physical significance?
9. How do you find Damping Coefficient from Logarithmic Decrement?
10. Compare Coulomb and Viscous Damping.
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