Mechanical systems with partial damping: two examples

The authors discuss the problem of constructing steady-state motions of mechanical systems with partial damping. A planar three-bar linkage with viscous damping at one of the joints is considered as an example. It is shown that for a generic set of system parameters all steady-state motions are confined to relative equilibria. The authors also consider the example of two rigid bodies with on-board rotors coupled via a ball-in-socket joint with viscous friction and show that, in the steady state, the system is at a relative equilibrium.<>