Coulomb Damping

AE31002 Aerospace Structural Dynamics

Anup Ghosh

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

Assumptions
– It is resulting from the sliding of two dry surfaces.

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

Assumptions
– It is resulting from the sliding of two dry surfaces.
– The damping force is equal to the product of the normal
forces and the coefficient of friction µ

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

Assumptions
– It is resulting from the sliding of two dry surfaces.
– The damping force is equal to the product of the normal
forces and the coefficient of friction µ
– It is assumed to be independent of the velocity, once the
motion is initiated.

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

Assumptions
– It is resulting from the sliding of two dry surfaces.
– The damping force is equal to the product of the normal
forces and the coefficient of friction µ
– It is assumed to be independent of the velocity, once the
motion is initiated.
– The sign of the damping force is opposite to that of velocity,
the differential equation of motion for each sign is valid only
for half cycle intervals.

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

Assumptions
– It is resulting from the sliding of two dry surfaces.
– The damping force is equal to the product of the normal
forces and the coefficient of friction µ
– It is assumed to be independent of the velocity, once the
motion is initiated.
– The sign of the damping force is opposite to that of velocity,
the differential equation of motion for each sign is valid only
for half cycle intervals.
– The motion will cease, however, when the amplitude is less
than ∆, at which position the spring force is insufficient to
over come static friction force, which is generally greater than
the kinetic friction force.

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

By work-energy principle

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

By work-energy principle

Observation
– The motion will cease, when the amplitude is less than ∆.
– At this stage position the spring force is not sufficient to over
come static friction force, which is generally greater than the
kinetic friction force.

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

By work-energy principle

Choose a half cycle with amplitude X1 to X−1 and equate the

energy of the system when the kinetic energy is zero because the
velocity at both the places are zero and the change in potential
energy of the spring must equal the energy released by the
damping mechanism.
1
k(X12 − X−1
2
) − Fd (X1 + X−1 ) = 0
2
Change in amplitude is = X1 − X−1 = 2Fk d
4Fd
Decay of amplitude per cycle= = X1 − X2 = k

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

Trigonometric approach

Fd = µw = µN

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

Trigonometric approach

The equation of motion

,
Where ‘sgn(ẋ)’ denotes sign of ẋ and represents a function having
the value +1 if its argument ẋ is positive and the value -1 if its
arguments is negative.

Mathematically
So, we can write

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

Trigonometric approach
Considering the 2nd equation first and bringing back the reference
of homogeneous solution of the SDOF undamped p system
v0
⇒ x = x0 cos ωn t + ωn sin ωn t, where ωn = k/m
The equation becomes
mẍ + kx = Fd = fd k (Assumed)
ẍ +ωn2 x
= ωn2 fd ,
where, fd = Fd /k is equivalent to displacement.
Now,
x − fd = Acosωn t + Bsinωn t is a general solution of the above
equation. Solving the above equation with initial conditions as
x(0) = x0 and ẋ(0) = 0 and the solution is
x(t) = (x0 − fd ) cos ωn t + fd
This equation is valid for 0 ≤ t ≤ t1 , where t1 is the time at which
the velocity again reduces to zero. Now the velocity is
ẋ(t) = −ωn (x0 − fd ) sin ωn t
The lowest nontrivial solution satisfies
Anup Ghosh theDamping
Coulomb condition ẋ(t1 ) = 0
 Coulomb Damping

Trigonometric approach

The lowest nontrivial solution satisfies the condition ẋ(t1 ) = 0 is

t1 = π/ωn and the associated displacement is x(t1 ) = −(x0 − 2fd )
If the above amplitude is sufficient enough to overcome the static
friction, the mass acquires a positive velocity and , so that the
motion must satisfy the other equation of motion in Coulomb
damping, i.e.,
ẍ + ω 2 x = −ω 2 fd
With the initial conditions x(t1 ) = −(x0 − 2fd ) and ẋ(t1 ) = 0

x(t) = (x0 − 3fd ) cos ωn t − fd

The equation is valid for the time period , t1 ≤ t ≤ t2 , where

t2 = 2π/ωn
At the end of complete cycle, decay of amplitude is 4fd , since,
x(t2 ) = x0 − 4fd

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

The amplitude drop in each half cycle is 2fd or 2µN

k ,
The number of half cycle elapsed before the motion ceases is
x0 − r 2µN µN
k ≤ k ( )
x0 − µN
k
r≥ 2µN
k

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

Observations

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

Observations
– The natural frequency of the system is unaltered with the
introduction of Coulomb damping, while it is reduced with the
introduction of viscous damping.

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

Observations
– The natural frequency of the system is unaltered with the
introduction of Coulomb damping, while it is reduced with the
introduction of viscous damping.
– The motion is periodic in case of Coulomb damping, while it
can be non-periodic in a viscously damped system
(over-damped case)

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

Observations
– The natural frequency of the system is unaltered with the
introduction of Coulomb damping, while it is reduced with the
introduction of viscous damping.
– The motion is periodic in case of Coulomb damping, while it
can be non-periodic in a viscously damped system
(over-damped case)
– The system comes to rest after some time with Coulomb
damping, whereas the motion theoretically continues for ever
(perhaps with an infinitely small amplitude) with viscous
damping.

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

Observations
– The natural frequency of the system is unaltered with the
introduction of Coulomb damping, while it is reduced with the
introduction of viscous damping.
– The motion is periodic in case of Coulomb damping, while it
can be non-periodic in a viscously damped system
(over-damped case)
– The system comes to rest after some time with Coulomb
damping, whereas the motion theoretically continues for ever
(perhaps with an infinitely small amplitude) with viscous
damping.
– The amplitude reduces linearly with Coulomb damping,
whereas it reduces exponentially in case of viscous damping.

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

For torsional damping

Let us assume the magnitude of the frictional torque is T .
Equation of motion for the first half cycle is

I0 θ̈ + kθ θ = −T

and for the other half is

I0 θ̈ + kθ θ = T

The frequency of the system remains the same, i.e.,

r
kθ
ωn =
I0
Amplitude of motion at the end of r-th half cycle (θr ), is given by
2T
θ r = θ0 − r
kθ
Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping
 Coulomb Damping

For torsional damping

The motion ceases when
T
( )
θ0 − kθ
r≥ 2T
kθ

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

A metal block placed on a rough surface , is attached to a spring

and is given an initial displacement of 10cm from its equilibrium
position. After five cycles of oscillation in 2sec, the final position of
the metal block is found to be 1cm, from its equilibrium position.
Find the coefficient of friction berween the surface and the metal
block. (Assume Coulomb damping)

Since five cycle of oscillation were observed to take place in 2sec.

the period of oscillation
q is 2/5 = 0.4sec, and the frequency of
k
oscillation ωn = m = 2π 2π
T = 0.4 = 15.708rad/sec.
Reduction of amplitude of oscillation in 5 cycles is
 
4µmg
5 = 0.10 − 0.01 = 0.09m
k

0.09k 0.09ωn2
µ= = = 0.1132
20mg 20g

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

Coulomb Damping

Calculate the frequency of

the damped oscillation of
the system shown for the
values k = 4000 lb/in
(7.0051 x 105 N/m), c =
20 lb s/in (3502.54 N
s/m), m 10 lb s2 /in
(1751.27 kg), a = 50 in
(1.27m), and L = 100 in
(2.54 m). Determine the
value of critical damping.

Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping

 Coulomb Damping

mLθ̈ + cLθ̇ + F2 = 0,
a2 F1 a = F2 L ⇒
mLθ̈ + cLθ̇ + k θ = 0,
L a a2
F2 = F1 =k θ
c k a2 L L
θ̈ + θ̇ + θ = 0,
m m L2
c k a2
θ̈ + 2ξωn θ̇ + ωn2 θ = 0, where = 2ξωn and ωn2 =
m m L2
Now,
s
k a2 c2
q 
ωd = ωn (1 − ξ 2 ) = − = 9.95rad/s
m L2 4m2
to find cc , find ωn , then ξ from c/2m = ξωn and get cc
Anup Ghosh Coulomb Damping