The course helps the students to increase their capabilities in analyzing the mechanical systems that are commonly employed in industrial and non-industrial applications. This specific course will be dedicated peculiarly to the marine and off-shore systems. The students will be able to understand how the mechanical systems work and how to improve their performances during ordinary working. For this reason, the modeling and the design of the mechanical systems are studied in details, and many fundamental aspects of mechanics are illustrated, such as, topology, kinematic and dynamic of multibody systems, tribology, lubrication, mechanical efficiency, power flows, and mechanical vibrations. These fields are applied to particular systems such as transmissions, gears, brakes and cam-follower mechanisms.
teacher profile teaching materials
Classification of kinematic pairs and their degrees of freedom. Lower pairs. Higher pairs. Form-closed and force-closed pairs. Kinematic chains and mechanisms. Classical representation of kinematic chains and mechanisms. Linkage mechanisms. Correspondence between mechanisms and graphs.
Geometry of Constrained Mechanical Systems
Introduction to graphical methods. Drawing scales. Classical geometrical approach to the initial configuration problem. Analytical methods for determining the initial configuration. Dependent and independent coordinates. Solution of the initial configuration problem using the Newton–Raphson numerical method. Application of Dini’s theorem to the determination of degrees of freedom: permanent and instantaneous critical configurations.
Mass Geometry and Geometrical Moments
First moments of area. Second moments of area. Parallel-axis theorem (Huygens–Steiner theorem). Principal axes and principal moments of inertia. Second moment of area about the neutral axis and polar moment of area.
Introduction to the Kinematic Analysis of Planar Systems
Review of particle kinematics. Review of rigid-body kinematics. Instantaneous motion of a planar system and first-order centrodes. Fundamental equation of kinematics. Instantaneous center of velocity. First-order centrodes. Acceleration field. Euler–Savary equation in its first and second formulations. Inflection circle. Curvature of trajectories. Circle of stationary curvature. Review of the theorem of relative motion. Aronhold–Kennedy theorem.
Graphical methods for kinematic analysis. Graphical method based on vector diagrams. Vector diagrams based on the fundamental equations of kinematics. Vector diagrams based on the theorem of relative motion. Graphical determination of point K. Pole method. Graphical determination of the center of curvature of the trajectory of a point M of the moving plane when the centers of curvature of the first-order centrodes are known. Graphical determination of first-order centrodes.
Kinematic analysis of linkage mechanisms. Kinematic analysis of mechanisms with higher pairs. Methods for constructing conjugate profiles. Envelope method. Normal-line method. Epicyclic method for point trajectories. Epicyclic method based on the envelope of an auxiliary curve. Interchangeable profiles. Justification of equivalent mechanisms using the epicyclic method for point trajectories. Center of curvature of a point trajectory. Kinematic analysis using constraint equations. Kinematic analysis of sliding-link mechanisms. Kinematic analysis of rolling-link mechanisms.
Review of Statics
Fundamental equations of statics. Elementary equilibrium problems. Equivalent force systems. Principle of virtual work. Static equilibrium of single-degree-of-freedom mechanisms.
Dynamics of Planar Mechanisms
Classification of dynamic actions. External and internal forces. Driving and resisting forces. Active forces and constraint reactions. Review of particle dynamics. D’Alembert’s principle. Application of D’Alembert’s principle to systems of concentrated masses. Review of rigid-body dynamics. Equivalent force systems. Rigid body undergoing general planar motion. Dynamics of mechanical systems using the principle of virtual work. Direct and inverse dynamic problems. Application of the principle of virtual work. Examples of direct and inverse dynamic problems.
Friction and Wear
Fundamentals of surface mechanics. Ideal and real surfaces. Contact between two real surfaces. Classification of dissipative phenomena. Types of friction. Types of wear. Models for calculating tangential dissipative forces in direct-contact pairs. Determination of the coefficient of sliding friction. Dry thrust journal bearing. Radially loaded journal bearing. Friction circle. Classification of friction according to the relative motion between contacting bodies. Rolling resistance due to material hysteresis. Rolling resistance parameter.
Fundamentals of Lubrication Theory
Viscosity of lubricating fluids. Other properties of lubricating oils. Classification of lubrication regimes. Lubricated friction in a planar pair. Flow rate of a fluid through a thin film. Thrust journal bearing. Hydrostatic lubrication with constant supply flow rate or pressure. Hydrodynamic lubrication: requirement for a variable-thickness lubricant film. Piecewise constant-thickness film: step bearing. Hydrodynamic lubrication in a variable-thickness film. Linearly varying film thickness.
Lubricated radially loaded journal bearing. Full journal bearing. Partial journal bearing. Geometrical interpretation of the effective friction angle in a lubricated journal bearing. Inverse problem. Lubricated plane slider bearing. Direct problem. Michell bearings with self-aligning tilting pads. Direct problem. Michell bearing with fixed-angle pads.
Work and Energy
Kinetic energy. Change in kinetic energy. Potential energy. Conservation of mechanical energy. Energy balance and efficiency. Instantaneous and average efficiency. Backdriving efficiency. Efficiency of mechanisms. Reduction of forces and torques. Equivalent mass reduction. Equivalent mass reduction of a slider-crank mechanism. Equivalent stiffness reduction. Flywheel.
Gears
Transmission by means of higher pairs. Levers with constant transmission ratio. Friction wheels. Types of gears. Gear terminology. Involute profiles. Line of engagement and line of action. Construction of the involute profile. Tooth thickness. Calculation of sliding between gear teeth. Specific sliding. Interference. Methods for avoiding interference. Involute rack-and-pinion pair. Efficiency of a gear pair with involute profiles.
Transmission Couplings
Analysis of the kinematic structure. Constant-velocity joints. Oldham coupling. Cardan motion. Universal (Cardan) joint and double Cardan joint. Overview of other types of couplings.
Cam Mechanisms
Classification of cam mechanisms. Followers. Cam profile design: graphical method. In-line roller follower. Constant-acceleration profile.
Introduction to Mechanical Vibrations
Preliminary concepts and definitions. Vibrations of linear single-degree-of-freedom systems. Transmissibility. Introduction to multi-degree-of-freedom systems.
Flexural Vibrations and Torsional Oscillations
Flexural vibrations. Self-centering of a rotating shaft with a flywheel mounted at midspan. Torsional oscillations. Fundamentals of rotor dynamics: Jeffcott rotor.
Hoists
Lifting devices. Direct-reeving and reverse-reeving pulley systems.
Programme
Kinematic Structure of Mechanical SystemsClassification of kinematic pairs and their degrees of freedom. Lower pairs. Higher pairs. Form-closed and force-closed pairs. Kinematic chains and mechanisms. Classical representation of kinematic chains and mechanisms. Linkage mechanisms. Correspondence between mechanisms and graphs.
Geometry of Constrained Mechanical Systems
Introduction to graphical methods. Drawing scales. Classical geometrical approach to the initial configuration problem. Analytical methods for determining the initial configuration. Dependent and independent coordinates. Solution of the initial configuration problem using the Newton–Raphson numerical method. Application of Dini’s theorem to the determination of degrees of freedom: permanent and instantaneous critical configurations.
Mass Geometry and Geometrical Moments
First moments of area. Second moments of area. Parallel-axis theorem (Huygens–Steiner theorem). Principal axes and principal moments of inertia. Second moment of area about the neutral axis and polar moment of area.
Introduction to the Kinematic Analysis of Planar Systems
Review of particle kinematics. Review of rigid-body kinematics. Instantaneous motion of a planar system and first-order centrodes. Fundamental equation of kinematics. Instantaneous center of velocity. First-order centrodes. Acceleration field. Euler–Savary equation in its first and second formulations. Inflection circle. Curvature of trajectories. Circle of stationary curvature. Review of the theorem of relative motion. Aronhold–Kennedy theorem.
Graphical methods for kinematic analysis. Graphical method based on vector diagrams. Vector diagrams based on the fundamental equations of kinematics. Vector diagrams based on the theorem of relative motion. Graphical determination of point K. Pole method. Graphical determination of the center of curvature of the trajectory of a point M of the moving plane when the centers of curvature of the first-order centrodes are known. Graphical determination of first-order centrodes.
Kinematic analysis of linkage mechanisms. Kinematic analysis of mechanisms with higher pairs. Methods for constructing conjugate profiles. Envelope method. Normal-line method. Epicyclic method for point trajectories. Epicyclic method based on the envelope of an auxiliary curve. Interchangeable profiles. Justification of equivalent mechanisms using the epicyclic method for point trajectories. Center of curvature of a point trajectory. Kinematic analysis using constraint equations. Kinematic analysis of sliding-link mechanisms. Kinematic analysis of rolling-link mechanisms.
Review of Statics
Fundamental equations of statics. Elementary equilibrium problems. Equivalent force systems. Principle of virtual work. Static equilibrium of single-degree-of-freedom mechanisms.
Dynamics of Planar Mechanisms
Classification of dynamic actions. External and internal forces. Driving and resisting forces. Active forces and constraint reactions. Review of particle dynamics. D’Alembert’s principle. Application of D’Alembert’s principle to systems of concentrated masses. Review of rigid-body dynamics. Equivalent force systems. Rigid body undergoing general planar motion. Dynamics of mechanical systems using the principle of virtual work. Direct and inverse dynamic problems. Application of the principle of virtual work. Examples of direct and inverse dynamic problems.
Friction and Wear
Fundamentals of surface mechanics. Ideal and real surfaces. Contact between two real surfaces. Classification of dissipative phenomena. Types of friction. Types of wear. Models for calculating tangential dissipative forces in direct-contact pairs. Determination of the coefficient of sliding friction. Dry thrust journal bearing. Radially loaded journal bearing. Friction circle. Classification of friction according to the relative motion between contacting bodies. Rolling resistance due to material hysteresis. Rolling resistance parameter.
Fundamentals of Lubrication Theory
Viscosity of lubricating fluids. Other properties of lubricating oils. Classification of lubrication regimes. Lubricated friction in a planar pair. Flow rate of a fluid through a thin film. Thrust journal bearing. Hydrostatic lubrication with constant supply flow rate or pressure. Hydrodynamic lubrication: requirement for a variable-thickness lubricant film. Piecewise constant-thickness film: step bearing. Hydrodynamic lubrication in a variable-thickness film. Linearly varying film thickness.
Lubricated radially loaded journal bearing. Full journal bearing. Partial journal bearing. Geometrical interpretation of the effective friction angle in a lubricated journal bearing. Inverse problem. Lubricated plane slider bearing. Direct problem. Michell bearings with self-aligning tilting pads. Direct problem. Michell bearing with fixed-angle pads.
Work and Energy
Kinetic energy. Change in kinetic energy. Potential energy. Conservation of mechanical energy. Energy balance and efficiency. Instantaneous and average efficiency. Backdriving efficiency. Efficiency of mechanisms. Reduction of forces and torques. Equivalent mass reduction. Equivalent mass reduction of a slider-crank mechanism. Equivalent stiffness reduction. Flywheel.
Gears
Transmission by means of higher pairs. Levers with constant transmission ratio. Friction wheels. Types of gears. Gear terminology. Involute profiles. Line of engagement and line of action. Construction of the involute profile. Tooth thickness. Calculation of sliding between gear teeth. Specific sliding. Interference. Methods for avoiding interference. Involute rack-and-pinion pair. Efficiency of a gear pair with involute profiles.
Transmission Couplings
Analysis of the kinematic structure. Constant-velocity joints. Oldham coupling. Cardan motion. Universal (Cardan) joint and double Cardan joint. Overview of other types of couplings.
Cam Mechanisms
Classification of cam mechanisms. Followers. Cam profile design: graphical method. In-line roller follower. Constant-acceleration profile.
Introduction to Mechanical Vibrations
Preliminary concepts and definitions. Vibrations of linear single-degree-of-freedom systems. Transmissibility. Introduction to multi-degree-of-freedom systems.
Flexural Vibrations and Torsional Oscillations
Flexural vibrations. Self-centering of a rotating shaft with a flywheel mounted at midspan. Torsional oscillations. Fundamentals of rotor dynamics: Jeffcott rotor.
Hoists
Lifting devices. Direct-reeving and reverse-reeving pulley systems.
Prerequisiti
Basic knowledge of Physics, Mathematical Analysis, Geometry, and Rational Mechanics.Core Documentation
John J. Uicker Jr., Gordon R. Pennock, Joseph E. Shigley — Theory of Machines and Mechanisms, Cambridge University Press, 6th ed., 2023.Attendance
Attendance is strongly recommended