EME2056

THEORY OF MACHINES

Kinematics of Mechanisms

Instructor: Low KO Trimester 1, 2021/2022

Kinematics of Mechanisms
• Introduction to Mechanisms and Kinematics
• Velocity Analysis of Mechanisms
• Acceleration Analysis of Mechanisms

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 Acceleration Analysis of Mechanisms

• Acceleration analysis involves determining the manner in

which certain points on the links of a mechanism are either
“speeding up” or “slowing down”.
• This analysis is important to ensure that the strength of the
links and joints is sufficient to withstand the inertial forces
imposed on them. Thus, understanding all the
accelerations, hence the forces, is important.
• The determination of acceleration in a linkage is the
purpose of this section.
• Consistent with the velocity analysis, both the graphical
and analytical methods could be utilized. However, only
the graphical method is covered in this section.

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 Acceleration Analysis of Mechanisms

• For a point moving in a straight line, its

dv
linear acceleration, a, is the change of a=
the linear velocity per unit time. dt
• Velocity is a vector quantity, defined with both a magnitude
and a direction. A change in either the magnitude or
direction of velocity also constitutes acceleration.
• Thus, for a point having a straight line motion, only the
magnitude of the velocity vector can change.
• The direction of linear acceleration is in the direction of
linear movement where the point accelerates or opposing
the direction of motion if the point decelerates.

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 Linear Acceleration of a Point in General
Motion

• The velocity of a point, moving in a general fashion, may

change in two independent ways:

▪ The magnitude of the velocity vector can change. This

produces acceleration acting along the path of motion.
This acceleration is termed tangential acceleration, at.

▪ The direction of the velocity vector can change. This

may occur when a point undergoes a rotational motion.
It produces a centripetal acceleration that acts
perpendicular to the path of motion. This acceleration is
termed normal acceleration, an.
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 Linear Acceleration of a Point in General
Motion

• Consider point A moving along a curved path. Its tangential

acceleration, at, is the linear acceleration along the
direction of motion.
• The normal acceleration, an, is a result of a change in the
direction of the velocity vector. It acts along a line that is
perpendicular to the direction of movement and toward the
center of curvature.

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 Rotational Accelerations of a Link

• Rotational accelerations, α, of a link is the change of

rotational velocity of that link per unit time.

d
=
dt
• The direction of rotational acceleration is in the direction of
motion when the rotational velocity increases or the link
accelerates.
• Conversely, the rotational acceleration is in opposite
direction of motion when the rotational velocity decreases,
or the link is decelerating.
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 Rotational Accelerations of a Link

Tangential Acceleration
• The instantaneous velocity of a point, which is also the
linear velocity of that point, on a rotating link is tangential
to the direction of motion.
• Any change in the magnitude of this velocity creates
tangential acceleration, which is perpendicular to the line
that connects the point with the center of rotation. Thus,
the acceleration of point A on a rotating link can be
expressed as:

dv A d (2 rA ) d 2
a =
t
A = = rA = rA 2 a = rA 2
t
A
dt dt dt
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 Rotational Accelerations of a Link

Normal Acceleration
• Any change in velocity direction creates normal
acceleration, which is always directed towards the center
of rotation.
• This is because as the point rotates around a fixed pivot,
the direction of velocity vector will change along the
curvature of motion.
• The normal to this curvature is
always directed toward the fixed pivot.
• The velocity of point A at two different
instances is shown separated by a
small angle, d2.
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 Rotational Accelerations of a Link

• Since the link is rotating at constant

speed, the magnitudes of vA’ and vA’’
are equal.
• The change in velocity, dv is obtained
by solving the velocity polygon.
• Since θ is small, the following
relationship can be stated:

dv = v A d 2

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 Rotational Accelerations of a Link

• Since acceleration is defined as the rate of velocity change,

both sides are divided by time
dv d 2
dv = v A d 2 a =
n
A = vA = v A2
dt dt
a An = v A2 = (2 rA )2 =  2 2 rA
2
v
 v  v 2
a An =  2 2 rA = A
a An = v A2 = v A  A  = A rA
 rA  rA
• Total acceleration, a, is the vector resultant of the tangential
and normal components.

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 Relative Acceleration

• An equation that relates the acceleration of two points on a

rigid body subjected to general plane motion may be
determined by differentiating vB = vA+ vB/A with respect to
time:
dvB dv A dvB / A
= +
dt dt dt
aB = a A + aB / A
• The terms aB and aA represent the absolute accelerations of
point B and A.
• The term aB/A represents the acceleration of B with respect
to A as observed from point A.
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 Relative Acceleration

• The term aB/A can be expressed in terms of its tangential

and normal components:

aB / A = ( aB / A ) + ( aB / A )
t n

• Hence, the relative acceleration equation can be written in

the form:

aB = a A + ( aB / A ) + ( aB / A )
t n

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Relative Acceleration

= +

aB = aA + ( aB / A ) + ( aB / A )
t n

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 Relative Acceleration

• Typically it is more convenient to separate the total

acceleration into normal and tangential components,
expressed as:
aB = a A + aB / A

a + a =a + a + a
n
B
t
B
n
A
t
A
n
B/ A +a t
B/ A

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 Relative Acceleration of Floating Links

• For links that are directly attached to the frame or fixed

pivot, the direction of the acceleration components are
obvious.
▪ The normal components are always directed to the
center of rotation.
▪ The tangential component is perpendicular to the
normal component.
• For a link that is not directly attached to the frame or fixed
pivot, typically called a floating link, the analysis focuses on
the relative accelerations of these points.

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 Relative Acceleration of Floating Links

• The relative acceleration of two points is the acceleration of

one point as seen from the other reference point (Point A).
▪ The normal component of relative acceleration is
directed toward the center of relative rotation or
reference point (Point A).
▪ The tangential relative acceleration is directed
perpendicular to the normal relative acceleration.

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 Relative Acceleration Analysis: Graphical
Method

• The strategy of determining the acceleration of a point

involves knowing the acceleration of another point on that
same link. Analysis can then be proceed throughout a
mechanism by using points that are common to two links.
• In this manner, the acceleration of any point on a
mechanism can be determined by working outward from
the input link using the same expanded equation:

aBn + aBt = aAn + atA + aBn / A + aBt / A

• Thus, the relative acceleration analysis forms a vector
problem.

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 Example 1

• For the four bar linkage shown, find the acceleration of A

and B and the angular acceleration of links 3 and 4.
Crank 2 has a constant angular velocity of 200 rad/s
CCW.

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Example 1 - Solution

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Example 1 - Solution

(constant )

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Example 1 - Solution

EME2056 THEORY OF MACHINES 22

Example 1 - Solution

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 Coriolis Acceleration

• Coriolis acceleration is a quantity that must be added

vectorically to the acceleration of a body with respect to
another accelerated body to get the true acceleration of
the former .
• E.g. the motion of a long-range projectile with respect to
the rotating earth

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 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛
Coriolis Acceleration 𝑠𝑒𝑐
. 𝑠𝑒𝑐
𝑠𝑒𝑐
. 𝑠𝑒𝑐

• For a particle that moves with velocity v from O to B on a

disc rotating at angular velocity , the distance is v.t.
• After time t, B will move to a new position B’ and the
angular distance is .t.
 • For a short displacement, distance
bb’ is given as OB x BB’:
s = (v.t ).(.t)= v..t2
.t B’
s • Acceleration along s is given as:
O B • s = a. t2 = v..t2
v

a = 2v.
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 Coriolis Acceleration

• Coriolis acceleration is a third component of acceleration

encountered in cases where the sliding contact occurs
between two rotating links.
• Specifically, coriolis acceleration is present in the relative
acceleration of two points when all the following three
conditions are simultaneously present:
▪ The two points are coincident, but on different links.
▪ The point on one link traces a path on the other link.
▪ The link that contains the path rotates.

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 Coriolis Acceleration

• In the figure below, point B can be associated with either

link 2, 3 or 4. Thus, point B can be referred to as B2, B3 and
B4.
• In this case, both the velocities and acceleration of the
coincident points B2 and B4 are not the same.
• Relative motion equations can be
used to relate the velocities and
accelerations as follows:

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 Coriolis Acceleration

• In this situation, the coriolis component must be included in

the relative acceleration term, aB2/B4 . Notice that:
▪ The points are coincident, but on different links.
▪ Point B2 slides along and traces a path on link 4.
▪ The link that contains the path, link 4, rotates.

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 Coriolis Acceleration

• Separating the relative acceleration term into its component

gives:

where the last term is the coriolis component of

acceleration.

• The magnitude of the coriolis component is given as:

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 Coriolis Acceleration

• The direction of the coriolis component is perpendicular to

the relative velocity vector, vB4/B2.
• It is obtained by rotating the relative velocity vector such
that the head of the vector is orientated in the direction of
the angular velocity of the path.
• Thus, when the angular velocity of the path, 4, rotates
clockwise, the coriolis direction is obtained by rotating the
velocity vector 90˚ clockwise. Vice versa.

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 Coriolis Acceleration

• The four
cases where
the direction
of the coriolis
component is
determined.

EME2056 THEORY OF MACHINES 31

END OF CHAPTER

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