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Constrained Motion of Connected Particles

This document discusses pulley systems and the concept of conservation of rope length to analyze how pulleys work. It presents the relationship between positions, speeds, and accelerations of connected particles in pulley systems using the concept that total rope length stays constant. Several sample problems are worked through applying these relationships to calculate speeds and accelerations of blocks and cylinders in pulley setups where one part is moved at a given speed or acceleration.

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Meryl Rodriguez
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
10 views

Constrained Motion of Connected Particles

This document discusses pulley systems and the concept of conservation of rope length to analyze how pulleys work. It presents the relationship between positions, speeds, and accelerations of connected particles in pulley systems using the concept that total rope length stays constant. Several sample problems are worked through applying these relationships to calculate speeds and accelerations of blocks and cylinders in pulley setups where one part is moved at a given speed or acceleration.

Uploaded by

Meryl Rodriguez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Constrained

Motion of
Connected
Particles
Pulleys and Conservation of Rope
• Figure below shows a simple pulley setup consisting of one fixed pulley, one moving pulley, a
load, and some rope.
• Let’s use the concept of conservation of rope to analyze how this pulley works.
• The length of rope stays constant.
• All positions are referenced to the ceiling or conveniently to the fixed pulley
• We write,
2x1 + x2 = L to relate the total length of the rope
• Taking increments on both sides,

• The minus sign means that the hand has to move down twice as far as pulley 1 moves up.
• Divide both sides by Δt and approaching to zero to have the speed relationship:
2v1 + v2 = 0
• Differentiate again to have acceleration relationship:

2a1 + a2 = 0
• This system has a one degree of freedom because it only needs one variable to identify all parts of the system.
System of Two Degrees of Freedom
• The lower cylinder and pulley C depend on the separate specifications of the two coordinates
yA and yB
• The lengths of the cables attached to A and B can be written as follows:

• And their derivatives are


Sample Problem 1
• Figure below shows a pulley arrangement designed to get you to a seat that you’ve built in a
tree. What you have is a movable platform with a chain attached at each corner. The free ends
of the four chains are joined together and attached to the movable pulley. The free end of the
pulley rope lies on the platform. If your assistant, standing off the side of the platform, grabs
the free end and starts pulling it down at 0.90 m/s while you sit on the platform, how long will
it take you to reach the seat?
Sample Problem 1 (Solution)
Sample Problem 2

• Determine the speed of block A if end B of the rope is pulled down with a
speed of 1.5 m/s.
Sample Problem 2 (Solution)
Sample Problem 3

• Determine the speed of cylinder B if cylinder A moves downward with a speed


of vA = 4 ft/s.
Sample Problem 3 (Solution)
Sample Problem 4
Sample Problem 4 (Solution)
Sample Problem 5 (Try on your own)

• Ans. aA = 0.12 ft/s2 up , aC = 0.48 ft/s2 down


ΔvB = 0.6 ft/s up
ΔxB = 0.75 ft up

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