Analytical and experimental studies of the behaviour of equipment vibration isolators under seismic conditions are presented. A preliminary parametric study of the effect of equipment-structure interaction on the ultimate equipment response of general equipment-structure systems is considered first. The results of this study indicate the conditions under which a non-interactive approach can yield adequate ultimate equipment response estimates. A model of a prototype air handling unit mounted on vibration isolators was constructed for use in the experimental studies. Two types of vibration isolators -elastomeric isolators and open spring isolators with uni-directional restraint - were tested under static and dynamic conditions. The frequency and seismic response characteristics of these vibration isolated systems were obtained. The experimental results indicate that the vibration isolators have nonlinear stiffness characteristics and high damping values. The results also show that the elastomeric isolators can survive a substantially higher level of base excitation than the open spring isolators with uni-directional restraint Analytical models of the vibration isolated systems, based on the model identification test results, have been formulated. A numerical procedure, utilizing time series analysis, was used to solve the equations of motion of the systems. Good agreement between the experimental results and the analytical results was observed. This study indicates that the analytical procedure can be used to accurately predict the response characteristics of vibration isolated equipment systems subjected to known base excitation inputs. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Civil Engineering, Department of / Graduate

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Time-average and stroboscopic real-time holography have become established as the prominent tools of holographic vibration analysis. Both are able to provide a quantitative determination of the amplitudes of standing waves of a vibrating flat surface, but have to date been limited to qualitative examination of curved surfaces. The purpose of this thesis has been to investigate the problems of extending the holographic technique to the analysis of surfaces of single curvature. The presence of several component motions in curved surface vibration prompted an examination of the fringe behaviour of the individual components of motion. This was performed by studying pure rigid body step displacements using double exposure holography. The experimental work of previous investigators was duplicated and the results tabulated according to the sensitivities of the fringe period density to a change in displacement magnitude. This was then related to the rotations and translations occurring in the motion of a vibrating surface. A fully clamped curved panel was studied using the time-average method with the assumption that all points on the surface were displaced normal to it. Good agreement was obtained between the amplitudes calculated from the fringes and the measured amplitudes, by accounting for the variation in displacement direction across the surface. A fixed-free cylinder was examined simultaneously from two overlapping views using both the time-average and stroboscopic real-time methods. Comparison of the calculated and measured amplitudes of the time-average indicated that the interference fringes were not localized upon or very near the cylinder's surface. The real-time results had reinforced these findings. However, the inherent presence of residual fringes in this method caused difficulties in obtaining an accurate quantitative evaluation of the vibration amplitudes. The real-time fringes were analyzed with attention paid to the effects of the initial residual fringes upon the resultant fringes. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Mechanical Engineering, Department of / Graduate

The use of optical techniques for the study of vibrating surfaces has thus far been limited to measuring small amplitudes on the order of a few hundred microinches. To extend the measuring range to much larger amplitudes a completely new technique is sought. In this thesis optical vibration methods are presented that allow amplitudes of .001" and up to be investigated, the upper limit being determined solely by the prohibitive size and cost of the equipment. The study is based on a combination of the shadow moire deflection measuring method and the Salet-Ikeda slope measuring method which, as far as the author knows, have been applied only to the study of static situations. It is shown how these two methods may be applied to the dynamic case to permit the direct visualization of nodal and antinodal locations and displacements in vibrating plates. Three specimens are studied: a cantilever beam, a square cantilever plate and a circular free plate. Complete photographic results along with theoretical or experimental solutions are given for each specimen. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Mechanical Engineering, Department of / Graduate

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published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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