Department of Mechanical Engineering

ME-405L Mechanical Vibrations Lab

Experiment No. 02
Experiment Name: To find natural frequency of torsional system

Name of Student: Zia ul Haq

Signature of Student: __________________
Registration No.: 04-3-1-048-2021
Date of Experiment: 09/24/2024
Group: F4

Report Marks: out of 10

Date of Report Submission: 10/01/2024
Signature of Lab Engineer:
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Table of Contents
1 Abstract...............................................................................................................................1
2 Introduction.........................................................................................................................1
3 Apparatus............................................................................................................................2
4 Procedure............................................................................................................................2
5 Properties of the System.....................................................................................................2
6 Theoretical Calculations.....................................................................................................3
6.1 Moment of Inertia......................................................................................................3
6.2 Stiffness of Spring......................................................................................................3
6.3 Natural Frequency of Spring......................................................................................3
7 Experiment Results.............................................................................................................4
8 Analysis and Discussion.....................................................................................................5
9 Conclusion..........................................................................................................................5
10 References...........................................................................................................................6
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List of Figures
Figure 1: Simple Apparatus.......................................................................................................1
Figure 2: Torsional Oscillation Apparatus.................................................................................2
 iv

List of Tables
Table 1: Physical properties of Disc..........................................................................................2
Table 2: Parameters of Springs..................................................................................................3
Table 3: For Single Rotor...........................................................................................................4
Table 4: For Double Rotor.........................................................................................................4
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1 Abstract
The primary goal of the experiment was to use torsional oscillations to determine the disc's
natural frequency. One end of that disc was securely held in place using a simple wire. The
goal is to time how long it takes the disc to complete ten oscillations and use the average
period of one oscillation to calculate the torsional spring constant. The formula was used to
get theoretical findings, which were then compared to experimental results to determine the
percentage error. The frequency of the system was measured experimentally and
theoretically. At the end theoretical and experimental results are compared to calculate
percentage of error.

2 Introduction
A torsional oscillator (sometimes called a torsional pendulum) is a disk-shaped structure
suspended from a thin rod or wire. When a mass is twisted around a wire's axis, the torque
applied by the wire causes the mass to rotate back to its original location. When a mass is
twisted and released the mass, it will oscillate back and forth in a basic harmonic motion.
This is an angular shape of a spring-hung bouncing mass. The figure below shows this

Figure 1: Simple Apparatus

apparatus.

A torsional spring is one of the many types of springs used in mechanical devices. Unlike
extension and compression springs, which work with pushing and pulling types of forces,
torsional springs are used when a twisting force is involved. These work by storing rotational
mechanical energy when a force is applied and exerting a torque in the opposite direction of
said force. Some of the examples of torsion springs are sway bars in vehicles, lids, door
hinges, hatches, clocks etc. Similar to extension springs, a release in applied force causes the
spring to oscillate; twisting and untwisting till the spring loses energy to friction. This
experiment is designed to analyze this very behavior by calculating the resonant frequency of
the spring experimentally as well as theoretically. The values are subsequently compared to
verify the theory. [1]
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3 Apparatus

Figure 2: Torsional Oscillation Apparatus

4 Procedure
 The radius of the disc was measured using vernier caliper.
 The disk was rotated and allowed to oscillate.
 Using a stopwatch, the time for 7 rotations was measured.
 Time for 1 oscillation was then found by taking average.
 Then theoretical and experimental omega values were computed.
 Finally, percentage error was found for comparison.

5 Properties of the System

Table 1: Physical properties of Disc

Parameters Disk 1 Disk 2

Height 12.6 mm 18 mm
Diameter 200 mm 160 mm
Density 7850 kg/m3 7850 kg/m3
Material Mild Steel Mild Steel
Mass 3.1 kg 2.84 kg
Moment of Inertia (kg m2) 0.02 kg m2 0.01 kg m2
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Table 2: Parameters of Springs

Parameters Coil 1 Coil 2

N 26 26
D 31.65 mm 30.4 mm
d 3.3 mm 3.05 mm
E 97 GPa 97 GPa
K 0.25 (Nm/rad) 0.19 (Nm/rad)

6 Theoretical Calculations
6.1 Moment of Inertia
For a single Spring
1 2 1 2 2
I = m r = ×3.1 ×0.1 =0.0155 kg m
2 2
For Series Combination
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
I =I 1+ I 2= m r + mr = ×3.1 ×0.1 + ×2.84 ×0.08
2 2 2 2
2
I =0.025 kg m
Where
m = Mass of the disc(s) involved (kg)
r = Radius of disk (m)
6.2 Stiffness of Spring
For a single Spring
9 4
E d4 97 × 10 ×(0.0033)
Kt= = =0.2182 N /m
64 ND 64 × 26 ×(31.68× 10−3 )

For Series Combination

9 4
E d4 97 × 10 ×(0.00305)
Kt= = =0.00166 N /m
64 ND 64 × 26 ×(30.4 ×10−3)
−1
1 1 −3
K t =( + ) =1.67 × 10 N /m
0.2182 0.00166
Where
E = Modulus of elasticity D = Spring nominal diameter
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d = Wire diameter N = Number of active turns

6.3 Natural Frequency of Spring
For a single Spring

ω theoratical=
√ √
kt
I
=
0.2182
0.0155
=3.75 rad/s

For Series Combination

ω theoratical=
√ √
kt
I
=
0.21986
0.025
=2.96 rad/s

From time measurements, the natural frequency is equal to

2π
ω n=
τ
7 Experiment Results
Table 3: For Single Rotor

Experimental
Time for 10 Time Period Percent
Natural Frequency
𝝎 𝒆𝒙𝒑 =𝟐𝝅/𝑻
Serial No. Oscillations (Seconds) Error
t in seconds T=t/10 (%)
(rad/s)
1. 16 1.6 3.93 4.8
2. 16.1 1.61 3.90 4
3. 15.9 1.59 3.95 5.3
4. 15.9 1.59 3.95 5.3
5. 16.2 1.62 3.88 3.47

Table 4: For Double Rotor

Experimental
Time for 10 Time Period Percent
Natural Frequency
𝝎 𝒆𝒙𝒑 =𝟐𝝅/𝑻
Serial No. Oscillations (Seconds) Error
t in seconds T=t/10 (%)
(rad/s)
1. 17.2 1.72 3.65 23
2. 17.3 1.73 3.63 22
3. 17.8 1.78 3.53 19
4. 18.1 1.81 3.47 17.2
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5. 18.0 18 3.49 18

8 Analysis and Discussion

By comparing theoretical predictions with experimental data, the experiment sought to
identify the natural frequency of torsional oscillations in single and double rotor systems.
With an average percentage error ranging from 3.47% to 5.3%, the experimental natural
frequencies for the single rotor system were relatively near to the theoretical value. Frictional
forces, air resistance, and potentially inaccurate measurements (e.g., stopwatch timing done
by hand) can all be blamed for this small discrepancy. The idealized theoretical model and
the actual situation typically differ slightly as a result of these considerations.

The twin rotor system, on the other hand, showed a greater percentage inaccuracy, ranging
from 17.2% to 23%. The system's growing complexity may be the cause of the bigger
variances. Due to its coupled oscillations, the twin rotor system is more susceptible to
inaccurate experiments since it can have extra damping sources or unexplained stiffness. The
springs utilized in the series combination may exhibit nonlinear characteristics, particularly
under bigger deformations, which were not fully represented by the theoretical calculations.
This is another possible explanation for the increasing inaccuracy.
These discrepancies could also have been caused by experimental mistakes, such as minute
variations in the rotors' mass distribution, setup misalignment, or excitation technique. The
double rotor system's larger percentage mistakes indicate that, in order to lower uncertainties
in subsequent research, it is imperative to improve the experimental protocol or employ more
precise instruments.

9 Conclusion

Injection molding is one

of the most important
processes for plastics
and it has a very wide
 6

list of kinds of products

it can produce, which
makes it very versatile.
Injection molding is one
of the most important
processes for plastics
and it has a very wide
list of kinds of products
it can produce, which
makes it very versatile.
Injection molding is one
of the most important
processes for plastics
and it has a very wide
 7

list of kinds of products

it can produce, which
makes it very versatile.
Injection molding is one
of the most important
processes for plastics
and it has a very wide
list of kinds of products
it can produce, which
makes it very versatile.
Injection molding is one
of the most important
processes for plastics
and it has a very wide
 8

list of kinds of products

it can produce, which
makes it very versatile.
Injection molding is one
of the most important
processes for plastics
and it has a very wide
list of kinds of products
it can produce, which
makes it very versatile.
Injection molding is one
of the most important
processes for plastics
and it has a very wide
 9

list of kinds of products

it can produce, which
makes it very versatile.
Injection molding is one
of the most important
processes for plastics
and it has a very wide
list of kinds of products
it can produce, which
makes it very versatile.
The natural frequencies of the single and double rotor systems were successfully determined
by the experiment; the single rotor system had the lowest percentage error. Bigger variances
were seen in the twin rotor system, though, most likely as a result of greater complexity and
experimental constraints. In spite of this, the findings shed light on the behavior of torsional
oscillation and underscored the significance of improving experimental methods to get more
precise results.
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10 References

[1] S. S. Rao, Mechanical Vibrations, United States: Pearson Education, 2018.