Dr. Mauro J. Atalla (instructor)
37-331, x8-5920, mjatalla@mit.edu
Prof. Carlos Cesnik (instructor) 33-313,
x2-1518, ccesnik@mit.edu
Mary C. Jones (course secretary) 37-315,
x2-1536, mcj@mit.edu
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 10:00-11:00 Rm.
33-419
http://command.mit.edu (to
register)
The prerequisite is 16.20 (or equivalent),
from where the student is expected to be familiar with fundamental concepts of
three-dimensional elasticity, two-dimensional plane stress and plane strain
problems, classical beam theory, and fundamentals of beam vibration.
This course will address issues related to
the dynamical behavior of elastic structures (interaction of elastic and
inertial forces). It also introduces students to the concepts and tools used in
structural dynamics. It is intended that the student will become familiar with
the important issues and philosophies associated with dynamic response, will
become conversant in the terminology of structural dynamics, and will achieve a
working understanding of these issues applied to various aeronautical systems.
Principles and Techniques of
Vibration
by Meirovitch is the main book for reference. Complementary, a list of
references related to the course material is provided, and some of them are
also on reserve in the Aero & Astro Library.
There will be three types of assignments
during the term: problem sets, a course project and quizzes. No final exam is
schedule for this subject. There will be approximately six problem sets during
the term. These will be handed out on a relatively regular basis and it is
expected that the assignments will be handed in on time.
There will be two quizzes during the term at
approximately mid-term and last week of classes. Several days will be given for
the completion of the exam. The exact handout and due dates will be announced
at least two weeks prior to the exam.
Late submissions of problem sets and quizzes
will be docked 25% before the solutions are handed out, and they will be
corrected but not graded afterwards. They can be delayed or rescheduled for very
good reason by prior arrangements.
Regarding the presentation of information,
the clarity and "neatness" of it are very important for this class as
they are for the engineers' professional life. For the assignments that involve
the use of computer programming, the printouts should be attached but they will
not count as a source for key information to the solution of the given
assignment. So, make sure that all the steps are described in the main text
along with the results.
The final grade will be calculated as
follows:
Attendance,
participation, general evaluation ±5%
The course
will be graded on an absolute scale using the letter grades as defined in the
MIT Faculty Rules and Regulations:
A -
Exceptionally good performance, demonstrating a superior understanding
of the subject matter, a foundation of extensive knowledge and a skillful use
of concepts and/or materials.
B - Good
performance, demonstrating capacity to use the appropriate concepts, a good
understanding of the subject matter, and an ability to handle the problems and
materials encountered in the subject.
C - Adequate
performance, demonstrating an adequate understanding of the subject
matter, an ability to handle relatively simple problems, and adequate
preparation for moving on to more advanced work in the field.
D - Minimally
acceptable performance, demonstrating at least partial familiarity with
the subject matter and some capacity to deal with relatively simple problems,
but also demonstrating deficiencies serious enough to make it inadvisable to
proceed further in the field without additional work.
F -
Unsatisfactory performance.
Plusses and minuses will be used in conjunction with the
letters in grading term-time work, as well as the final grade.
Dr. Atalla can be consulted by appointment.
In addition, the time immediately after class is a good opportunity to get
answers to quick questions.
The topics to be covered during the term will
deal with single and multiple degree-of-freedom systems; continuous systems:
bars, strings, rods, beams, plates; variational principles in dynamics:
Hamilton's Principle, Lagrange's equations; formulation and application of
diverse methods: Galerkin, integral equation, numerical collocation; and
self-excited vibrations. A post factum syllabus will be handed out at
the end of the term.
It is expected that the submission of each
student represents the work of that, and only that, individual student.
Students should feel free to consult each other, as well as the course faculty,
in developing solutions to problem sets. However, it is expected that the final
submission represents the effort of only that student. No consultation with
fellow students is allowed on the take-home examinations.
Any material used from another source or
person must be properly referenced. An individual
engineer/reviewer/researcher does not need to come up with all the ideas. In
fact, a good engineer knows how to incorporate the good ideas and thoughts of
others. However, it is essential to "give credit where credit is
due".
Cases of academic dishonesty are a severe
breach of the student's and engineer's codes and will be treated appropriately.