5 ECTS credits
130 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4023992ENR for all students in the 1st semester at a (E) Master - advanced level.

Semester
1st semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Impossible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
Yes
Taught in
English
Partnership Agreement
Under interuniversity agreement for degree program
Faculty
Faculteit Ingenieurswetenschappen
Department
Applied Mechanics
External partners
Université libre de Bruxelles
Educational team
Wout Weijtjens
Arnaud Deraemaeker (course titular)
Activities and contact hours
24 contact hours Lecture
36 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
Course Content

The course studies the time dependent behavior of structures and systems excited by dynamic forces. The course starts with the analysis of systems with one, two and several degrees of freedom, with and without damping, and also deals with simple continuous structures (beams and bars) and more complex finite element models. The different sources of excitations for practical applications are described, together with a description of the effects and a discussion of possible design and remedial measures. Sensors, data acquisition and signal processing to measure vibrations experimentally are also presented.

Course material
Digital course material (Required) : Mechanical Vibrations
Digital course material (Required) : All slides, Canvas
Additional info

The course is articulated around different case studies for which the students will learn to describe the source of excitation, how to model the problem and predict vibration levels, as well as propose the most adequate design and remedial measures when these levels are excessive.

The course consists of 24h of lectures based on the principle of flipped classes. The students are asked to watch one or several short videos before the class, and the time in the class is dedicated to interactive activities such as wooclap sessions, group exercises and discussions about case studies to consolidate the theoretical knowledge.

Videos are made available prior to the lessons a.o. via structuraldynamics.ulb.be. All additional information is made available through Canvas. Registration to Canvas is required to participate in the exercise sessions.

The exercise sessions are organized in 6 sessions (24h) using Jupyter Notebooks (Python). Exercise sessions will conclude with an individual project (12h) to be performed at home, which is defended individually during the oral examination.

The exercises are aimed at illustrating the theoretical concepts and to prepare for the final project: understanding of the excitation (based on Fourier analysis), modeling of the physical system (including reduction to a single degree of freedom system), computation of the response both in time and frequency domain, assessment of potential dynamic instabilities

Learning Outcomes

Algemene competenties

The students will learn how to model time dependent dynamic behavior of structures. Emphasis is put on the ability to derive simple models from real complex structures and to compute their dynamic response due to different types of excitations.

The students will also develop a deep understanding of the sources and effects of vibrations on structures, as well as basics on instrumentation and methods to measure vibration levels, frequency response functions, and extract modal data on real structures.

When measured or predicted vibration levels are excessive, the students will learn what are the most relevant redesign and remedial measures and how to apply them, with a design oriented approach.

Knowledge-oriented competences

Having in-depth knowledge and understanding of the advanced methods and theories to schematize and model complex problems or processes.

Scientific competences

Can reformulate complex engineering problems in order to solve them (simplifying assumptions, reducing complexity).

Scientific competences

Can correctly report on research or design results in the form of a technical report or in the form of a scientific paper.

Scientific competences

Can present and defend results in a scientifically sound way, using contemporary communication tools, for a national as well as for an international professional or lay audience.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 80% of the final mark.
PRAC Report determines 20% of the final mark.

Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Oral exam: Concepts with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 40% of the final mark.

    Note: Oral examination aimed at checking the general understanding of the theoretical concepts
  • Oral exam: individual project with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 40% of the final mark.

    Note: Oral examination consists in a presentation and discussion of the individual project

Within the PRAC Report category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • reports of practical exercises with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 20% of the final mark.

    Note: Completed notebooks of the practical exercises

Additional info regarding evaluation

Timely submission of all 6 completed exercise sessions through the designated portal is required and accounts for 20% of the final mark. The oral examination is split in two parts, a first part with questions related to the theoretical part of the course, and a second part dedicated to the defense of the individual project. Each part accounts for 40% of the total mark.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Electromechanical Engineering: Aeronautics (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Electromechanical Engineering: Sustainable Transport and Automotive Engineering (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Electromechanical Engineering: Robotics and Mechanical Construction (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Electromechanical Engineering: Aeronautics
Master of Electromechanical Engineering: Robotics and Mechanical Construction
Master of Electromechanical Engineering: Sustainable Transport and Automotive Engineering