BEng Mechanical Engineering

Dynamics will continue to broaden the students’ knowledge of mechanical systems by extending rigid body kinematics and kinetics into three dimensions using real world examples and applications.  The unit will also introduce students to approaches used to analyse the dynamic response of structures.  The unit is run over twelve weeks with 2 hours of lectures per week and 1 hour of tutorial every alternate week.  Assessment will be via an unseen examination (80%) and coursework (20%).

This course unit detail provides the framework for delivery in 20/21 and may be subject to change due to any additional Covid-19 impact.  Please see Blackboard / course unit related emails for any further updates

The aim of the unit is to further develop the students’ understanding and skills in the analysis of mechanical systems that are in motion.

Vibrations
The students will be shown how structures and systems respond when they undergo free and forced vibration (in both undamped and damped systems) and how this behaviour can be analysed.  By the end of the topic, the students will be able to:

1. simplify problems to one degree-of-freedom mass-spring-damper systems,
2. determine the characteristics of those systems,
3. analyse the response of the systems using the equation of motion method, and
4. extend the methodology to undamped two degree-of-freedom systems.

Three-dimensional kinematics of a rigid body
The students’ knowledge of rigid body kinematics will be extended from two-dimensions into three-dimensions and they will be given the techniques with which they can analyse the velocities of such systems.  By the end of the topic, the students will be able to:

1. identify the motion of the system under investigation,
2. choose the appropriate analysis methodology,
3. analyse the kinematics of rigid bodies subjected to rotation about a fixed point and general motion, and
4. conduct relative-motion analyses of rigid bodies using translating and rotating axes.

Three-dimensional kinetics of a rigid body
The students’ knowledge of rigid body kinetics will be extended from two-dimensions into three-dimensions and they will be given the techniques with which they can analyse the forces within such systems.  By the end of the topic, the students will be able to:

1. find the moments and products of inertia of a rigid body about various axes,
2. apply the principles of work and energy, and linear and angular momentum to rigid bodies having three-dimensional motion,
3. develop and apply the equations of motion in three dimensions, and
4. analyse gyroscopic motion.

Other:

Two Blackboard-based quizzes that test the student's understanding of the topics taught during that period

Exam - via script viewing

Quizzes - marks and solutions released one week after submission