Control of hysteretic instability in rotating machinery by elastic suspension systems subject to dry and viscous friction

Most of the undesired whirling motions of rotating machines can be efficiently reduced by supporting journal boxes elastically and controlling their movement by viscous dampers or by dry friction surfaces normal to the shaft axis, which rub against the frame. In the case of dry dampers, resonance ranges of the floating support configuration can be easily cut off by planning a motionless adhesive state of the friction surfaces. On the contrary, the dry friction contact must change automatically into sliding conditions when the fixed support resonances are to be feared. Moreover, the whirl amplitude can be restrained throughout the speed range by a proper choice of the suspension-to-shaft stiffness ratio and of the support-to-rotor mass ratio.This theoretical research deals firstly with the natural precession speeds and looks for Campbell plots in dependence on the shaft angular speed, for several rotor-suspension systems. Then, the steady response to unbalance is investigated, in terms of rotor and support orbits and of conical path of the rotor axis. In this search, the ranges of adhesive or sliding contact are identified in particular for system with dry friction damping. At last, the destabilizing influence of the shaft hysteresis in the supercritical regime is focalized and the counterbalancing effect of the other dissipative sources is verified. In the nonlinear case of dry friction dampers, the control of linear stability is fulfilled by a perturbation procedure, checking the magnitude of Floquet characteristic multipliers on the complex plane. Moreover, the nonlinear stability far from steady motion is tested by the direct numerical solution of the full motion equations. The comparison configuration of suspension systems with viscous dampers and no dry friction is examined through an analytical first approximation approach and closed-form results for stability thresholds are derived in particular for the symmetric case.     

Whirl and whip instabilities in rotor-bearing system considering a nonlinear force model

Linear models and synchronous response are generally adequate to describe and analyze rotors supported by hydrodynamic bearings. Hence, stiffness and damping coefficients can provide a good model for a wide range of situations. However, in some cases, this approach does not suffice to describe the dynamic behavior of the rotor-bearing system. Moreover, unstable motion occurs due to precessional orbits in the rotor-bearing system. This instability is called “oil whirl” or “oil whip”. The oil whirl phenomenon occurs when the journal bearings are lightly loaded and the shaft is whirling at a frequency close to one-half of rotor angular speed. When the angular speed of the rotor reaches approximately twice the natural frequency (first critical speed), the oil whip phenomenon occurs and remains even if the rotor angular speed increases. Its frequency and vibration mode correspond to the first critical speed. The main purpose of this paper is to validate a complete nonlinear solution to simulate the fluid-induced instability during run-up and run-down. A flexible rotor with a central disk under unbalanced excitation is modeled. A nonlinear hydrodynamic model is considered for short bearing and laminar flow. The effects of unbalance, journal-bearing parameters and rotor arrangement (vertical or horizontal) on the instability threshold are verified. The model simulations are compared with measurements at a real vertical power plant and a horizontal test rig.     

Dynamics and stability of rigid rotors levitated by passive cylinder-magnet bearings and driven/supported axially by pointwise contact clutch

A stable rotor—supported laterally by passive magnetic bearings and longitudinally by magnetic forces and a clutch—loses suddenly its contact to the clutch and executes abruptly longitudinal movements away from its original equilibrium position as a result of small increases in angular velocity. Such an abrupt unstable behaviour and its reasons are thoroughly theoretically as well as experimentally investigated in this work. In this context, this paper gives theoretical as well as experimental contributions to the problem of two dimensional passive magnetic levitation and one dimensional pointwise contact stability dictated by mechanical–magnetic interaction. Load capacity and stiffness of passive multicylinder magnetic bearings (MCMB) are thoroughly investigated using two theoretical approaches followed by experimental validation. The contact dynamics between the clutch and the rotor supported by MCMB using several configurations of magnet distribution are described based on an accurate nonlinear model able to reliably reproduce the rotor-bearing dynamic behaviour. Such investigations lead to: (a) clear physical explanation about the reasons for the rotor's unstable behaviour, losing its contact to the clutch and (b) an accurate prediction of the threshold of stability based on the nonlinear rotor-bearing model, i.e. maximum angular velocity before the rotor misses its contact to the clutch as a function of rotor, bearing and clutch design parameters.     

Open rotor centrebody scattering

This paper investigates the effect of acoustic scattering from the centrebody of an advanced open rotor engine. The physical mechanisms governing the scattering process are investigated and formulae for predicting noise levels are presented. It is found that centrebody scattering has a negligible effect on rotor-alone tones produced by a subsonic rotor, however, the scattering effect can be significant for rotor-alone tones produced by a supersonic rotor and certain rotor–rotor interaction tones. The paper concludes with an analysis which shows that the centrebody scattered field may be significantly reduced by applying an acoustic liner to the centrebody surface.     

Transverse vibration of a rotor system driven by a Cardan joint

The transverse vibration of a rotor system driven by a Cardan joint is analyzed and the effect of the transmitted torque on the dynamic stability of the system evaluated. As a result of the analysis, the following facts are proved: when the driving shaft and driven shaft (rotor shaft) are included, both parametric and self-excited vibrations arise due to transmitted torque; asymmetrical stiffness of the rotor supports has the effect of stabilizing this self-excited vibration.     

Free vibration analysis of a hanged clamped-free cylindrical shell partially submerged in fluid: The effect of external wall,internal shaft,and flat bottom

The free flexural vibration of a hanged clamped-free cylindrical shell with various boundary conditions partially submerged in a fluid is investigated. Specifically, the effects of the boundary conditions such as the existence of the external wall, internal shaft, and bottom on the natural vibration characteristics of the partially submerged cylindrical shell are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The fluid is assumed to be inviscid and irrotational. The cylindrical shell is modeled by using the Rayleigh–Ritz method based on the Sanders shell theory. The kinetic energy of the fluid is derived by solving a boundary-value problem related to the fluid motion. The theoretical predictions were in good agreement with the experimental results validating the theoretical approach developed in this study. The effects of the external wall, internal shaft, and bottom on the natural vibration characteristics can be neglected when its boundaries are not very close to the shell structure.     

On the notion of a rotating fluid force induced by swirling flow

The Bently/Muszynska (B/M) model shows that oil whirl and oil whip are both self-sustained vibrations associated with two unstable modes of a rotor–fluid system. The model includes a rotating fluid damping and inertia force. In certain configurations, the rotating damping force overcomes the frictional internal damping of the rotor and pushes the rotor into a stable limit cycle of circular orbiting. Such a notion of a rotating fluid force is based on bulk-flow models of fluid-filled clearances that could be approximated as narrow since the tangential velocity of the fluid then translates to one angular velocity at a certain radial distance defined by an average radius. This paper scrutinizes the assumption of a rotating fluid inertia force and pinpoints the additional inertial effects of the swirling flow as the gap width increases. These effects are clarified by deriving the equation of motion of a body with a mass subjected to motion-induced fluid forces of a confined swirling flow. We show that the inertial effects of the swirling flow counteract the destabilizing effect of the rotating damping force. However, if the body mass is larger than the displaced fluid mass, instability follows. The frequency of the unstable mode is unchanged by the additional inertial effects and is always equal to the frequency of the damping that induces the instability.     

Stability analysis of a rotor–bearing system with time-varying bearing stiffness due to finite number of balls and unbalanced force

Previous investigations have indicated that the finite number of balls can cause the bearing stiffness to vary periodically. However, effects of unbalanced force in a rotor–bearing system on the bearing stiffness have not received sufficient attention. The present work reveals that the unbalanced force can also make the bearing stiffness vary periodically. The parametric excitations from the time-varying bearing stiffness can cause instability and severe vibration under certain operating conditions. Therefore, the determination of the operating conditions of parametric instability is crucial to the design of high speed rotating machinery. In this paper, an extended Jones–Harris stiffness model is presented to ascertain the stiffness of the angular contact ball bearing considering five degrees of freedom. Stability analysis of a rigid rotor–bearing system is performed utilizing the discrete state transition matrix (DSTM) method. The effects of unbalanced force, bearing loads and damping on the instability regions are discussed thoroughly. Investigations mainly show that the time-varying bearing stiffness fluctuates sinusoidally due to finite number of balls and unbalanced force. The locations and widths of the instability regions caused by these two parametric excitations differ distinctly. Unbalanced force could change the widths of the instability regions, but without altering their central positions. The axial and radial loads of the bearing only change the positions of the instability regions, without affecting their widths. Besides, damping can reduce the widths of the instability regions.     

Stability and transient dynamics of a propeller–shaft system as induced by nonlinear friction acting on bearing–shaft contact interface

This paper investigates the friction-induced instability and the resulting self-excited vibration of a propeller–shaft system supported by water-lubricated rubber bearing. The system under consideration is modeled with an analytical approach by involving the nonlinear interaction among torsional vibrations of the continuous shaft, tangential vibrations of the rubber bearing and the nonlinear friction acting on the bearing–shaft contact interface. A degenerative two-degree-of-freedom analytical model is also reasonably developed to characterize system dynamics. The stability and vibrational characteristics are then determined by the complex eigenvalues analysis together with the quantitative analysis based on the method of multiple scales. A parametric study is conducted to clarify the roles of friction parameters and different vibration modes on instabilities; both the graphic and analytical expressions of instability boundaries are obtained. To capture the nature of self-excited vibrations and validate the stability analysis, the nonlinear formulations are numerically solved to calculate the transient dynamics in time and frequency domains. Analytical and numerical results reveal that the nonlinear coupling significantly affects the system responses and the bearing vibration plays a dominant role in the dynamic behavior of the present system.     

Detailed ball bearing model for magnetic suspension auxiliary service

Catcher bearings (CBs) provide backup protection for rotating machines with active magnetic bearings (AMBs). The CBs are required in the event of an AMB failure or high transient loads. Numerical simulations of a rotor drop on CBs in flywheel energy storage system are conducted with a detailed CB model which includes a Hertzian load–deflection relationship between mechanical contacts, speed-and-preload-dependent bearing stiffness due to centrifugal force, and a Palmgren's drag friction torque. The transient simulation results show the rotor shaft response variations with the design parameters: shaft/bearing friction coefficients, axial preload, support damping of damper liner, and side loads from magnetic bearings. The results reveal that friction coefficients, support damping, and side loads are critical parameters to satisfy CB design objectives and prevent backward (super) whirl.     

Phonon coupling effect upon transport in nanoscale polymers

In an environmental coupled polymer, a variation of the conductivity is evaluated, which results from the external electron–phonon interaction coupling with the internal one. A quantized current appears under the external phonon coupling. The resonant tunnelling in the nanoscale polymer driven by the internal electron–phonon interaction is enhanced by the external phonon coupling. In addition, the external electron–phonon interaction softens the stiffness of the polymer.     

Nonlinear Dynamics and Fluctuations of Dissipative Toda Chains

The dynamics of a ring of masses including dissipative forces (passive or active friction) and Toda interactions between the masses is investigated. The characteristic attractor structure and the influence of noise by coupling to a heat bath are studied. The system may be driven from the thermodynamic equilibrium to far from equilibrium states by including negative friction. We show, that over-critical pumping with free energy may lead to a partition of the phase space into attractor regions corresponding to several types of collective motions including uniform rotations, one- and multiple soliton-like excitations and relative oscillations. The distribution functions in the phase space and the correlation functions of the forces and the spectra of nonlinear excitations are calculated. We show that a finite-size Toda ring with weak thermal coupling develops at intermediate temperatures a broadband colored noise spectrum with an 1/f tail at low frequencies.     

Conical Mirror Energy-Analyzer

Electron optical properties of an axisymmetric mirror energy-analyzer are studied. The internal electrode represents a cylinder, and the external electrode is formed by two identical cones with common bases. It is shown that the relative aperture and resolution of such an analyzer are significantly greater than the corresponding parameters of a conventional cylindrical mirror. The internal electrode is made of three cylinders with different diameters, and the potentials of the cylinders are identical. Such a structure is used to further improve electron optical characteristics of the conical analyzer. At a relatively small beam angle, the resolution of the conical analyzer is two times greater than the resolution of the cylindrical mirror, and the difference of the resolutions amounts to an order of magnitude when the beam angle increases.

     

Inhomogeneous quantum diffusion and decay of a meta-stable state

We consider the quantum stochastic dynamics of a system whose interaction with the reservoir is considered to be linear in bath co-ordinates but nonlinear in system co-ordinates. The role of the space-dependent friction and diffusion has been examined in the decay rate of a particle from a meta-stable well. We show how the decay rate can be hindered by inhomogeneous dissipation due to nonlinear system–bath coupling strength.     

Acoustic signature of a submarine hull under harmonic excitation

The structural and acoustic responses of a submarine under harmonic force excitation are presented. The submarine hull is modelled as a cylindrical shell with internal bulkheads and ring stiffeners. The cylindrical shell is closed by truncated conical shells, which in turn are closed at each end using circular plates. The entire structure is submerged in a heavy fluid medium. The structural responses of the submerged vessel are calculated by solving the cylindrical shell equations of motion using a wave approach and the conical shell equations with a power series solution. The far-field radiated sound pressure is then calculated by means of the Helmholtz integral. The contribution of the conical end closures on the radiated sound pressure for the lowest circumferential mode numbers is clearly observed. Results from the analytical model are compared with computational results from a fully coupled finite element/boundary element model.     

On vortex–airfoil interaction noise including span-end effects,with application to open-rotor aeroacoustics

A linear analytical model is developed for the chopping of a cylindrical vortex by a flat-plate airfoil, with or without a span-end effect. The major interest is the contribution of the tip–vortex produced by an upstream rotating blade in the rotor–rotor interaction noise mechanism of counter-rotating open rotors. Therefore the interaction is primarily addressed in an annular strip of limited spanwise extent bounding the impinged blade segment, and the unwrapped strip is described in Cartesian coordinates. The study also addresses the interaction of a propeller wake with a downstream wing or empennage. Cylindrical vortices are considered, for which the velocity field is expanded in two-dimensional gusts in the reference frame of the airfoil. For each gust the response of the airfoil is derived, first ignoring the effect of the span end, assimilating the airfoil to a rigid flat plate, with or without sweep. The corresponding unsteady lift acts as a distribution of acoustic dipoles, and the radiated sound is obtained from a radiation integral over the actual extent of the airfoil. In the case of tip–vortex interaction noise in CRORs the acoustic signature is determined for vortex trajectories passing beyond, exactly at and below the tip radius of the impinged blade segment, in a reference frame attached to the segment. In a second step the same problem is readdressed accounting for the effect of span end on the aerodynamic response of a blade tip. This is achieved through a composite two-directional Schwarzschild's technique. The modifications of the distributed unsteady lift and of the radiated sound are discussed. The chained source and radiation models provide physical insight into the mechanism of vortex chopping by a blade tip in free field. They allow assessing the acoustic benefit of clipping the rear rotor in a counter-rotating open-rotor architecture.     

The use of roving discs and orthogonal natural frequencies for crack identification and location in rotors

A variety of approaches that have been developed for the identification and localisation of cracks in a rotor system, which exploit natural frequencies, require a finite element model to obtain the natural frequencies of the intact rotor as baseline data. In fact, such approaches can give erroneous results about the location and depth of a crack if an inaccurate finite element model is used to represent an uncracked model. A new approach for the identification and localisation of cracks in rotor systems, which does not require the use of the natural frequencies of an intact rotor as a baseline data, is presented in this paper. The approach, named orthogonal natural frequencies (ONFs), is based only on the natural frequencies of the non-rotating cracked rotor in the two lateral bending vibration x–z and y–z planes. The approach uses the cracked natural frequencies in the horizontal x–z plane as the reference data instead of the intact natural frequencies. Also, a roving disc is traversed along the rotor in order to enhance the dynamics of the rotor at the cracked locations. At each spatial location of the roving disc, the two ONFs of the rotor–disc system are determined from which the corresponding ONF ratio is computed. The ONF ratios are normalised by the maximum ONF ratio to obtain normalised orthogonal natural frequency curves (NONFCs). The non-rotating cracked rotor is simulated by the finite element method using the Bernoulli–Euler beam theory. The unique characteristics of the proposed approach are the sharp, notched peaks at the crack locations but rounded peaks at non-cracked locations. These features facilitate the unambiguous identification and locations of cracks in rotors. The effects of crack depth, crack location, and mass of a roving disc are investigated. The results show that the proposed method has a great potential in the identification and localisation of cracks in a non-rotating cracked rotor.     

Internal resonance of axially moving laminated circular cylindrical shells

The nonlinear vibrations of a thin, elastic, laminated composite circular cylindrical shell, moving in axial direction and having an internal resonance, are investigated in this study. Nonlinearities due to large-amplitude shell motion are considered by using Donnell’s nonlinear shallow-shell theory, with consideration of the effect of viscous structure damping. Differently from conventional Donnell’s nonlinear shallow-shell equations, an improved nonlinear model without employing Airy stress function is developed to study the nonlinear dynamics of thin shells. The system is discretized by Galerkin’s method while a model involving four degrees of freedom, allowing for the traveling wave response of the shell, is adopted. The method of harmonic balance is applied to study the nonlinear dynamic responses of the multi-degrees-of-freedom system. When the structure is excited close to a resonant frequency, very intricate frequency–response curves are obtained, which show strong modal interactions and one-to-one-to-one-to-one internal resonance phenomenon. The effects of different parameters on the complex dynamic response are investigated in this study. The stability of steady-state solutions is also analyzed in detail.     

Circular whirling and stability due to unbalanced magnetic pull and eccentric force

This rapid communication is concerned with the circular whirling and stability of a model rotor in a synchronous generator under no load, subjected to unbalanced magnetic pull and mass eccentric force. The analysis is focused on the synchronous whirling of the rotor. Based on the existing analytical expression for unbalanced magnetic pull with any pole-pair number, the nonautonomous system of differential equations of motion with parametrically exciting force is transformed to an autonomous one by introducing a rotating coordinate frame. The circular whirlings of the model rotor are thus converted into equilibrium solutions to the autonomous system, which can be obtained by solving a system of polynomial equations with two unknowns only. Furthermore, stability of these equilibrium solutions is determined by applying the linearized stability criterion. An example is used to illustrate the proposed analytical method.     

Vibration of a rotating shaft with randomly varying internal damping

A simple Jeffcott rotor is considered with both external and internal damping. Coefficient of internal damping is subject to temporal random variations which may occasionally bring the rotor into the domain of dynamic instability. The corresponding sporadic outbreaks in the rotor's vibrational response (whirl) are studied by applying the Krylov-Bogoliubov averaging method to the complex equation of motion and using parabolic approximation for the random coefficient of the internal damping. This results in an explicit analytical solution for the radius of whirl which may be used for predicting reliability of the rotor. Furthermore, a convenient procedure is described for interpreting measured on-line test data for the rotor. Namely, the mean value of the coefficient of internal damping as well as its standard deviation and mean frequency of temporal variations may be estimated directly from the trace of whirl radius which exhibits spontaneous random outbreaks in response.