ModalAnalysisandResonanceinMulti-Degree-of-Freedom.docVIP

Modal Analysis and Resonance In Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Oscillators Physics 4304 – Mechanics By Chris Carr May 7, 2004The motion of an oscillator under the influence of an external driving force is often discussed in physics. For simplicity sake, the feedback of the driver is neglected, which is often an acceptable approximation. The problem arises when two or more oscillators are connected, allowing energy to be transferred back and forth. The study of coupled oscillations is important because it can be used to model several real-life systems, such as an automobile suspension system, a multi-story building, or the interaction between atoms on a molecular level. Modal analysis and resonance are two important concepts to understand when dealing with multi-degree-of-freedom oscillatory systems. Oscillating harmonic systems have been studied for hundreds of years. Daniel Bernoulli was serving as chair of mathematics at St. Petersburg when he worked with Leonard Euler from 1727 to 1733 studying oscillating systems. It was in this time that Bernoulli defined the simple nodes and the frequencies of oscillation of a system. His work with harmonic vibrations was mostly related to its application in stringed musical instruments. After leaving St. Petersburg, Bernoulli continued to study oscillations as they occurred in the air in an organ pipe. Although much of the groundwork for the theory of oscillations was done by Bernoulli, it was Lagrange who generalized this to the oscillatory motion of a system of particles with a finite number of degrees of freedom. The simplest example of the motion of a coupled harmonic oscillator can be modeled by two equal masses attached on either side to fixed ends by springs of stiffness k0 and attached to each other by a spring of stiffness k1. This configuration is shown in Figure 1. It is assumed that the motion is restricted to the line connecting the masses, so this is a two-degree-of-freedom system. Figure 1: Simple Cou