Politecnico di Milano

M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering

Transverse vibration of stretched strings

Mechanical System Dynamics

Prof. Roberto Corradi
 Model of a stretched string
w(x,t) w is the transverse displacement
T, m of the string, evaluated at time t
and in correspondence with the
string’s section located in x.
Just as an example, the picture
x on the left represents a string with
fixed extremities. But actually,
L
boundary conditions are not
specified at this stage.
1) shear force and bending moment are neglected
2) the string is made of homogeneous material and it has constant cross-section
(the mass per unit length m is constant along the string)

3) the tension T is high with respect to the string’s weight; consequently, in the
static equilibrium position in figure, the string’s configuration can be
approximated as rectilinear
4) small vibration amplitudes; therefore tension variations due to the string’s
transverse vibration are negligible with respect to the value of T in the static
configuration (3+4  the tension T is assumed to be constant with x and t)
2
5) damping is neglected
The string’s equation
We are looking for the homogeneous partial differential equation that governs the
string’s undamped vibration about its static equilibrium configuration.
No external loads, except for concentrated (constraint or active) forces at the
boundary, are supposed to act on the string.
The equation we are going to derive is valid independently of the specific boundary
conditions. Thus, consider a string’s element with infinitesimal length dx and plot
its free-body diagram: the only forces acting on the infinitesimal string’s portion dx
are the tension T at the two extremities and the inertia force Fin.

Fin T

R
L 2w
T Fin  mdx 2
w t
w( x, t ) w( x, t )  dx
x

x dx
Force balance in the transverse direction:  Fin  T sin  R  T sin  L  0 3
The string’s equation

Due to the hypothesis of small vibration amplitudes:

w
sin  L   L  tan  L 
x
  w 
sin  R   R  tan  R   w  dx 
x  x 
By substituting into the force balance equation:

 Fin  T sin  R  T sin  L  0

2w  w  2 w w 
mdx 2  T   2 dx  0
t  x x x 

2w 2w
T 2 m 2 0  2nd order homogeneous PDE (Partial
x t Differential Equation)
4
The string’s equation

w(x,t)
T, m 2w 2w
T 2 m 2
x t

x
L

T
By defining with c  the wave propagation velocity:
m
2w 1 2w
 2 2  This PDE is called the string’s equation or the
x 2
c t one-dimensional wave equation

When integrated for assigned boundary and initial conditions, the solution w(x,t)
of the equation above defines the string’s undamped vibration. Note that the PDE
above can apply to both free or forced response (provided that any external force
be applied at the boundary only). In this lecture we will mainly concentrate on
free vibration and on the associated problem of natural modes computation. 5
Integration of the string’s equation

Two possible solutions:

1) wave propagation solution

w( x, t )  F1 (ct  x)  F2 (ct  x) progressive + regressive travelling waves

If we first concentrate on the progressive

w x
contribution F1, it is easy to realize that
this function represents a wave (with
arbitrary but constant waveform) that
is travelling in the positive x direction at a
constant speed c. In fact, if we increase
time by a certain Dt, what we get is the
same waveform, displaced by a quantity
cDt towards the right.
In the same way, F2 represents a wave t x  c t
that is travelling in the opposite direction. 6
Integration of the string’s equation

Two possible solutions:

2) standing wave solution

w( x, t )
w( x, t )  ( x)  G (t )

The standing wave solution represents synchronous motion. That is a motion

in which the shape of the string’s transverse displacement does not change with
time, while the amplitude of this shape does: the ratio between the string’s
displacement evaluated in any two fixed positions along the string remains
constant during vibration.
7
Integration of the string’s equation: standing wave solution

2w 1 2w
 2 2 w( x, t )  ( x)  G (t )
x 2
c t
d dG
We will be using the following notation:   '( x)  G(t )
dx dt
If we then substitute the function w(x,t) corresponding to the standing wave
solution into the string’s equation:
1  '' G
 ''( x)  G (t )  2 ( x)  G (t )  c2

c  G
Since that on the left is a function of x only and that on the right is a function of t
only, the only possibility for the equation above to be satisfied is that they are both
equal to the same constant. Moreover, since the system under study is
conservative and is being perturbed about a stable equilibrium configuration, then
the constant itself needs to be real negative:

 '' G   c  G   2G  0
c2    2 
 
two homogeneous
 G   ''  2
0 2nd order ODE
8
Integration of the string’s equation: standing wave solution

It is now easy to integrate the two homogeneous 2nd order ODE:

1) G   2G  0
2
G (t )  C1 sin(t )  C2 cos(t )  Re(G0e jt )  G0 cos(t  ) 
T
2)  ''  2  0
 2
( x)  A sin( x)  B cos( x)    wavenumber
c 
By putting together the two solutions and by embedding the constant |G0| into
A and B, the general expression for the standing wave solution is obtained,
which is valid independently of the boundary conditions:

w( x, t )  ( x)  G(t )  [ A sin( x)  B cos( x)]  cos(t  )

Note that the solution above can apply to both free and forced vibration
(provided that any external force be applied at the boundary only). 9
 Natural modes: stretched string fixed at both extremities

w( x, t )  ( x)  G(t )  [ A sin( x)  B cos( x)]  cos(t  ) 
c
Natural frequencies i and mode shapes i(x) depend on the specific boundary
conditions of the case under study. If a string fixed at both extremities is considered:

1) w(0, t )  0  (0)  0  B0

2) w( L, t )  0   ( L)  0  A sin( L)  B cos( L)  0

 0 1   A 0 this is a linear algebraic homogeneous system

sin( L) cos( L)   B   0
     of 2 equations in the 2 unknowns A and B

For the solution to be non trivial (the trivial solution corresponding to A=B=0, i.e.
non-vibrating string), the matrix of the coefficients needs to be singular. Then:

i i i T
sin( L)  0  i   i  c i  1, 2, ...
L L L m
10
Natural modes: stretched string fixed at both extremities

i T
i  countable infinity of natural frequencies ( i = 1, 2, … )
L m

 i  corresponding eigenfunctions, each one representing a

i  sin  x specific mode shape (harmonic synchronous motion with
L  circular frequency i)

2 i
i  
i L

2L
i 
i

11
Free transverse vibration of a stretched string

The solution corresponding to one single natural mode is given by:

wi ( x, t )  Ai i ( x)  cos(it  i )  i ( x)  [C1i sin(it )  C2i cos(it )]

The string’s free response to assigned initial conditions can be obtained as a

superposition of the infinite string’s natural modes:
 
w( x, t )   wi ( x, t )   Ai   i ( x)  cos(i t  i ) 
i 1 i 1

   i ( x)  [C1i sin(i t )  C2i cos(i t )]
i 1

The parameters Ai and ψi (or C1i and C2i) are determined by imposing the initial
conditions:

w( x, 0)  w0 ( x)
w( x, 0)  w0 ( x) 12
Free transverse vibration of a stretched string

In the particular case of a stretched string fixed at both extremities:

2 i
i  sin   i x  i  
i L

wi ( x, t )  sin( i x)  [C1i sin(it )  C2i cos(it )]

 
w( x, t )   wi ( x, t )   sin( i x)  [C1i sin(it )  C2i cos(it )]
i 1 i 1


w( x, 0)  w0 ( x)   C2i sin( i x)
i 1

w( x, 0)  w0 ( x)   C1ii sin( i x)
i 1

The constants C1i and C2i are the coefficients of the Fourier series of the two
functions w0 ( x), w0 ( x) that define the initial conditions. 13
Free transverse vibration of a stretched string

2 L
C1i 
Li  0
w0 ( x) sin( i x) dx

2 L
C2i   w0 ( x) sin( i x)dx
L 0
If, for example, the following initial conditions are assigned:

 
w0 ( x)  sin( 1 x)  sin  x  w0 ( x)  0
L 
(i.e. the string’s initial deformation is coincident with the 1 st mode shape), then

C1i  0 i  1, 2,...
2 L     i 
C2i   sin  x  sin  x  dx C21  1 , C2i  0 i 1
L 0 L   L 
(this result is a consequence of the orthogonality of the eigenfunctions)
14
Free transverse vibration of a stretched string

Since C21=1 and all other constants are zero, then:

 
w( x, t )  sin  x  cos( 1t )
L 
The string’s free response to these particular initial conditions is given by the
contribution of the 1st vibration mode only and the string vibrates with its 1 st natural
frequency only.

 T
1 
L m

15