Active control of coupled flexural-torsional vibration in a flexible rotor-bearing system using electromagnetic actuator

Rotor-shaft systems are subject to non-uniform spin speed during start-up, coast-down or any non-stationary situation changing the spin speed suddenly, e.g., load fluctuation or sudden mass-loss like loss of a blade or a part thereof. For a flexurally and torsionally compliant rotor-shaft, the dynamics under non-uniform spin-speed shows inertial coupling among transverse and torsional coordinates through mass-unbalance and gyroscopic effect. This results into coupled transverse-torsional vibration, where torsional response consists of significant harmonic components at bisynchronous spin frequency, torsional natural frequency of the shaft, and at combination frequencies corresponding to sum and difference of spin and transverse natural frequencies and twice the transverse natural frequency of the rotor-shaft. As a result of the coupling, transverse rotor motion also influences the torsional motion. The Method of Multiple Scales (MMS) is used in this work to carry out an analysis of a simplified system to get an idea about the dominant frequencies of excitation. Results of numerical simulation are presented next to show the effectiveness and influence of actively controlling the transverse rotor motion on its torsional motion, at the dominant frequencies, with the help of non-contact electromagnetic force from an actuator. Transverse vibration control is also observed to control the torsional oscillations due to coupled nature of the problem. The Stability Limit Speed (SLS) of the system is also increased as a result of application of the active control action. Constant axial torque is observed to diminish the influence of coupling, and protect the system against torsional instability, but control action is a must to stabilize the transverse vibration of the system above SLS.