
5.7 Vibration Isolation 241
EXAMPLE 5.13 Modified system to limit the maximum value of TR due to
machine start-up
The isolation that is indicated by Eq. (5.105) is valid only when the excitation
frequency is much greater than the natural frequency of the system, and as-
sumes that the system always operates at this frequency. There are many sys-
tems, however, that operate at a frequency much greater than the natural fre-
quency, but are cycled so that they turn on and off on a regular and frequent
basis. As these systems get up to operating speed (frequency) they must pass
through the system’s resonance region, where larger forces/displacements are
temporarily transmitted to the ground/base.
17
A modification to the system that
can reduce the maximum value of TR in the neighborhood of the resonance is
shown in Figure 5.35. The modification includes an additional spring k
2
be-
tween the damper and the base, which, we recall from Example 4.7, results in
a Maxwell element. We shall now re-derive the governing equation of this
system using Lagrange’s equations.
The kinetic energy and potential energy for this system are, respectively,
(a)
and the dissipation function is
(b)
By using Eq. (3.41), the Lagrange equations, with N 2, q
1
x
1
, q
2
x
2
,
Q
1
f(t), and Q
2
0, we obtain
(c)
Although the inertia element shown in Figure 5.35 is described in terms
of a single coordinate—that is, x
1
—here, the additional variable x
2
is also
needed to determine the damper force and the spring force associated with
k
2
. As discussed later on, the transmitted force depends on the variable x
2
.
18
c1x
#
1
x
#
2
2 k
2
x
2
0
mx
$
1
c1x
#
1
x
#
2
2 k
1
x
1
f 1t 2
D
1
2
c1x
#
1
x
#
2
2
2
V
1
2
k
1
x
1
2
1
2
k
2
x
2
2
T
1
2
mx
#
2
1
f(t)
x
1
(t)
x
2
(t)
k
2
k
1
c
m
FIGURE 5.35
Single degree-of-freedom system
with an additional spring added in
series with the damper.
17
It is mentioned that if a vibratory system such as a rotating machine is ramped up to operate at
a high frequency, then to attenuate the response while passing through resonance, one will need
some amount of damping.
18
As discussed in Example 4.7, the system shown in Figure 5.35 is said to be a system with one
and a half degrees of freedom: One of the governing equations is a second-order differential
equation, while the other one is a first-order differential equation.