ABSTRACT

While the lumped-parameter approach usually employed in system dynamics has been successfully applied to the analysis and design of many different types of physical systems, some areas have used the approach more than others. Many electrical systems are originally conceived by their designers thinking in terms of putting together a combination of R, L, C, op-amps, and other integrated-circuit modules to achieve a new device with some useful function. Workers in these areas find a wide selection of such components available to implement their circuit concepts. Mechanical systems on the other hand, are rarely initially conceived in terms of some sort of connection of K, B, and M. Rather, designers draw upon their knowledge of basic mechanisms (cams, gears, linkages, etc.), various power sources (hydraulics, pneumatics, electric motors, etc.), sensing instruments, and control schemes to create a system which will, at least nominally, perform the desired functions. To check the details of performance of this proposed system, a dynamic model must often be formulated and analyzed, and at this point, lumped-parameter system analysis may be very useful.