LECTURE NOTES

MECE 303 Theory of Machines

6 – Position Analysis of Mechanisms

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Position of Mechanisms by Means of Complex Numbers
Example: Offset slider crank mechanism

γ3
θ13

θ12

Joint Variables : θ12, θ13 and s14 . Input θ12 find θ13 and s14 2
Position LCE:

Disconnect R at A

PA 2  PA3 (reconnect R at A)

A0 A 2  A0 Q  QB  BA3

a 2 e i12  s14  ia1  a3 e i13 Using Euler’s Equation and writing Im and Re parts

(Re) a2 cos12  s14  a3 cos13 (a)

(Im) a2 sin 12  a1  a3 sin 13 (b)

1 
From (b) 13  sin 1  (a 2 sin 12  a1 ) : 2 solutions (two assembly).
 a3 
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From (a) s14  a2 cos12  a3 cos13 (solution in step)

Alternatively instead of finding s14 in terms of θ12 and θ13 one can eliminate
θ13 and find s14 in terms of θ12 only.

a3 cos13  a2 cos12  s14 (a’)

a3 sin 13  a2 sin 12  a1 (b’) if we square and add:

s142  2a2 cos 12 s14  (a12  a22  a32  2a1a 2 sin 12 )  0

s14Please
 a2 remember
cos 12  that;
a32  a22 sin 2 12  a12  2a1a2 sin 12 Two solutions
for ax + bx + c = 0, we have two solutions as;

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s142  2a2 cos 12 s14  (a12  a22  a32  2a1a 2 sin 12 )  0

Note that s14 is the variable in the above equation;

s14  a2 cos 12  a32  a22 sin 2 12  a12  2a1a2 sin 12 Two solutions

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 Be careful in finding inverse values of sine, cosine and tangent
[Link] you use atan2((x);(y)) function you get the correct
quadrant. Your calculator gives the values of angles in between ;

0≤ angle ≤ π for arccosine (control – values of angle)

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Example : Four bar mechanism

Joint variables: θ12, θ13, θ14

θ12 is the input, Find θ13 and θ14

γ
θ13

θ12 θ14

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LCE: a 2 e i12  a3 e i13  a1  a 4 e i14

Conjugate of LCE a 2 e i12  a3 e i13  a1  a 4 e i14

To find θ14 , eliminate θ13 by arranging equations and multiplying side by side

 a3 e i13  a1  a 4 e i14  a 2 e i12

a3 e i13  a1  a 4 e i14  a 2 e i12

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  
a32 e i (13 13 )  a1  a 4 e i14  a 2 e i12 a1  a 4 e i14  a 2 e i12 


a32  a12  a42  a22  a1a4 (e i14  e i14 )  a1a2 (e i12  e i12 )  
 a2 a4 (e i (14 12 )  e i (14 12 ) )

Substituting e i14  e i14  2 cos14 , e i12  e i12  2 cos12 and

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Divide by 2a4 and use cos(θ14- θ12)=cos θ14 cos θ12+ sin θ14 sin θ12 we get

Freudenstein’s Equation

A cos θ14+B sin θ14 = C where

A=a2cos θ12-a1

B=a2 sin θ12

1
C= (a12  a22  a32  a42  2a1a2 cos 12 )
2 a4

The above equation can be solved to find θ14

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To find θ14 we can use two solution methods

*Solution method (1): Using half tangent formulas

1  tan 2 (14 / 2) 2 tan(14 / 2) Half-tangent

Denote t14=tan(θ14/2) and substitute in A cos θ14+B sin θ14 = C

 A(1  t142 )  B2t14  C (1  t142 )

(C  A)t142  2Bt14  (C  A)  0

t14  ( B  B 2  A 2  C 2 ) /( A  C ) there are 2 solutions

θ14=2tan-1t14

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 *Solution method (2): Rectangular to polar conversion

A cos θ14+B sin θ14 = C

Let A=DcosØ and B= DsinØ D  A 2  B 2 take positive solutions

Ø =atan2(B/A) (you get correct value for the angle with this function)

Equation becomes

DcosØ cos θ14+ DsinØ sin θ14 = C

Dcos(Ø- θ14)=C  θ14 = Ø - cos-1(C/D) : 2 solutions

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To find θ13 use the component equations of LCE

a 2 e i12  a3 e i13  a1  a 4 e i14 then if we write

a2 cos12  a3 cos13  a1  a4 cos14 (a)

a2 sin 12  a3 sin 13  a4 sin 14 (b)

From the above two equation

a4 sin 14  a2 sin 12

Single solution for each θ13

So we found θ14 in terms of θ12 , then θ13 in terms of θ12 and θ14 . Such a set
of equations is called stepwise solution.

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Alternatively instead of finding θ13 in terms of θ12 and θ14 , one can eliminate θ14
by manipulating the LCE in a similar manner.

*Recall that for finding θ14 we eliminated θ13 by using LCE and its complex
conjugate. Alternatively we could use the two scalar components equations (a), (b)
of the LCE.

a3 cos13  a1  a4 cos14  a2 cos12 (a’)

a3 sin 13  a4 sin 14  a2 sin 12 (b’)

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(a’)2 ,(b’)2 and add a32  (a12  a42 cos 2 14  a22 cos 2 12 ) 

 2(a1a4 cos 14  a1a2 cos 12  a4 cos 14 a2 cos 12 )

(a42 sin 2 14  a22 sin 2 12  2a4 a2 sin 14 sin 12 )

a32  (2a1a4  2a2 a4 cos 12 ) cos 14  2a4 a2 sin 12 sin 14 

 a12  a42  a22  2a1a2 cos12

Divide by 2a4

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A cos θ14+B sin θ14 = C where

A=a2cos θ12-a1

B=a2 sin θ12

1
C= (a12  a22  a32  a42  2a1a2 cos 12 )
2a4

And the result is same with the first method

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Example. Inverted Slider crank Mechanism

ψ Ø
θ12 θ14

Given θ12 find θ14 and s43

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A0 A  A0 B0  B0 B  BA

a2 ei12  a1  a4 ei14  is43ei14

Re: a 2 cos 12  a1  a 4 cos 14  s 43 sin 14 (a)

Im: a 2 sin 12  a 4 sin 14  s 43 cos 14 (b)

Eliminate s43 to find θ14;

s 43 sin 14  a1  a 4 cos 14  a 2 cos 12

s 43 cos 14  a 2 sin 12  a 4 sin 14

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Divide and cross multiply

sin 14 a1  a 4 cos 14  a 2 cos 12

a1 cos14  a4 cos 2 14  a2 cos12 cos14  a2 sin 12 sin 14  a4 sin 2 142

A cos θ14+B sin θ14 = C where

A=a2 cos θ12-a1

B= a2 sin θ12

C=a4

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We can solve the above equation:

1-Solution by rectangular to polar conversion:

Let A=DcosØ and B= DsinØ  D  A 2  B 2 , Ø =atan2(A, B)

 θ14= Ø-cos-1(C/D) : 2 solutions (2 assembly configuration)

2-Solution using half tangent formulas

B  B 2  A2  C 2
θ14 = 2 tan t 14 where t14 
-1
AC

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then substitute each of the values of θ14 in (a) or (b)

1
from (a)  s 43  (a1  a 4 cos 14  a 2 cos 12 ) one solution for each θ14
sin 14

If sinθ14=0  then use (b) to find s43

We found a stepwise solution

If we want to find s43 in terms of θ12 only then eliminate θ14. But from the
component equations one cannot eliminate θ14.

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LCE and its complex conjugate should be used.

(a4  is43 )ei14  a2ei12  a1

(a4  is43 )e i14  a2e i12  a1

Multiply side by side

(a4  is43 )(a 4  is43 )  (a 2 e i12  a1 )(a 2 e i12  a1 )

a42  s 43
2
 a22  a12  a1a2 e i12  a1a2 e i12

and (a1a2 e i12  a1a2 e i12 )  2a1a2 cos12

s43   a22  a12  a42  2a1a2 cos 12 2 solutions

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