DESIGN OF MACHINERY CHAPTER 10
displacements are different. A force F applied to the system will create a total deflection which
is the sum of the individual deflections. The spring force is defined from the rela township in
equation 10.14 (p. 501):
where:
F kejf Xtotal
(10.17a)
(10.17b)
Substituting, we find that the reciprocal of the effective k of springs in series is the sum of the
reciprocals of their individual spring constants.
F F F F
-= -+-+
kejf k1 k2 k3
1
(10.17c)
Figure l0-7b shows three springs in parallel. The force passing through each spring is different,
and their displacements are all the same. The total force is the sum of the individual forces.
(10.18a)
Substituting equation 10.17b we find that the effective k of springs in parallel is the sum of the
individual spring constants.
Combining Masses
keff X = k1x +k2x+k3x keff k1 +k2 +k3
(10.18b)
Masses are the mechanical analog of electrical capacitors. The inertial forces associated with all
moving masses are referenced to the ground plane of the system because the acceleration in F = ma
is absolute. Thus all masses are connected in parallel and combine in the same way as do
capacitors in parallel with one terminal connected to a common ground.
(10.19)
Lever and Gear Ratios
Whenever an element is separated from the point of application of a force or from another element
by a lever ratio or gear ratio, its effective value will be modified by that ratio. Figure I
0-8a shows a spring at one end (A) and a mass at the other end
(B) of a lever. We wish to model this system as a single-DOF lumped parameter system. There are two
possibilities in this case. We can either transfer an equivalent mass meff