DAMPING

• Damping describes the resistance of a system to oscillation resulting from a change in the input. Damping is the result of frictional forces working in that system. So following a change in input there are several possible outcomes for the system:
• Perfect Response: any change in input would be instantly and accurately reflected in the output
• Under-damped – the output changes quickly in response to the step up in input, but it overshoots and then oscillates around the true value, before coming to rest at it. It will take some time before the true value is displayed and the peaks and troughs will over- and underrepresent the true value. In a dynamic system, e.g. intra-arterial BP, the constantly changing input may result in wild fluctuations, rendering an under-damped system very inaccurate (although the MAP is still correct).
• Critically damped – the response and rise time of the system are longer than an under-damped response, but there is no significant overshoot and oscillations are minimal. ‘D’ is the damping factor and, by convention, in a critically damped system D = 1.
• Over-damped – defined as damping greater than critical. The output here could potentially change so slowly that it never reaches the true value. in a dynamic system, the response time may be too slow for the system to be useful.
• Optimally damped – in reality in clinical measurement systems, critical damping is not ideal and we are prepared to accept a few oscillations and some overshoot to achieve a faster response time. Hence, our systems are ‘optimally damped’ where 64% of the energy is removed from the system and D = 0.64. There is a 7% overshoot in this case.
• N.B: The ‘response time’ is the time taken for the output to reach 90% of its final reading. The ‘rise time’ is the time taken for the output to rise from 10 to 90% of its final reading.
• All instruments will possess damping that affects their dynamic response. This includes mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical devices. In an electromechanical device such as a galvanometer there are mechanical moving parts such as the meter needle and bearings. Damping in these components arises from frictional effects on their movement. This may arise unintentionally or may be applied as part of the instrument design to control oscillation of the needle when it records a measurement. In a fluid- (gas or liquid) operated device, damping occurs due to viscous forces that oppose the motion of the fluid. In an electrical system, damping is provided electronically by electrical resistance that opposes the passage of electrical currents.
• Damping is an important factor in the design of any system. In a measurement system it can lead to inaccuracy of the readings or display:
• Under-damping can result in oscillation and overestimation of the measurement.
• Over-damping can result in underestimation of the measurement.
• Critical damping is usually an optimum compromise resulting in the fastest steady-state reading for a particular system, with no overshoot or oscillation.
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