Rotor Introduction

University of Nottingham
Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering
Advanced Dynamics of Machines (MM 3 ADM)
Vibrations in Rotating Machinery
Contents
6.1 Introduction to rotordynamics of turbomachinery

6.2 Objectives of rotordynamic analysis
6.3 The spring-mass model
6.4 The Jeffcott rotor
6.1 Introduction to rotordynamics of turbomachinery
Turbomachinery is commonly used in aircraft as a means of propulsion and in the

utilities as a means of producing electricity. Modern turbomachines are designed to
produce or absorb extremely large amounts of power in a relatively smooth package.
The main property of turbomachinery which allows this is the high shaft speeds
relative to other types of machine of the same physical size. A direct consequence of
high speeds is high inertial loads and potential problems with shaft whirl, vibration
and rotordynamic instability. It is the aim of this part of the module to introduce and
investigate these phenomena.
6.2 Objectives of rotordynamic analysis
1) Critical speeds for vibration

The ability to predict speeds at which vibration of an imbalanced rotor is a
maximum is vital. Once these critical speeds have been calculated it is essential
that the operating speeds are not coincident with the critical speeds.
2) Design modifications to change critical speeds

If it is not possible to operate at a speed that is not coincident with the calculated
critical speeds or if there is a need to change the operating speed, design
modifications may be required to change the critical speeds.
3) Balancing
The ability to calculate balancing masses and locations (usually from
experimentally measured data) is vital so as to reduce the amplitude of vibration
due to imbalance.
4) Threshold speeds for dynamic instability

The ability to predict threshold speeds and vibration frequencies for dynamic
instability is vital. Currently, this is a challenging area since a number of the
destabilising forces are not understood well enough for accurate mathematical
modelling.
5) Design modifications to suppress dynamic instability.

6.3 The spring-mass model
The simplest possible model for vibration analysis of a rotor system is a rigid mass m
mounted on a linear spring of stiffness k.
me2sint
For this system the first critical speed corresponds to the natural frequency (=k/m
rad/s) of the model.
For a rotor that is relatively rigid compared to the bearing supports, the mass m
corresponds to the total mass of the rotor and the stiffness k is the stiffness of the
bearing supports in parallel.
For a rotor that has a relatively flexible shaft compared to the bearing supports, the
stiffness is determined by the flexible bending stiffness of the shaft. In this case,
only a portion of the shaft mass contributes to the mass m since the mass near the
bearing supports does not fully participate in the vibratory motion.
The above simple model has a number of serious limitations for rotordynamic
analysis.
1) The model only allows motion in one direction, whereas the rotor-bearing
system can translate in two directions producing complex patterns and
shapes. This shortcoming can be removed by considering a spring-mass
system with two degrees of freedom, allowing it to vibrate in two directions, X
and Y say.
2) The model (even with two degrees of freedom) does not contain a realistic
representation for the imbalance in the rotor. This imbalance occurs in all
real machines, and since it is the rotating imbalance that excites the most
commonly observed type of vibration in turbomachines, it follows that the
rotating imbalance is an essential factor that must be included in the model.
6.4 The Jeffcott rotor

The English dynamicist Jeffcott was the first to include rotating imbalance in a simple
two degree of freedom model of a rotor system. The model consists of an
unbalanced disk mounted mid-way between the bearing supports on a flexible shaft
of negligible mass. This model was the first to explain the onset of reverse whirl
motion (see later) and forms the basis of the model adopted throughout this section
of the module. A schematic of a Jeffcott rotor is shown below.
Figure: Single Disk on a Flexible Shaft with Flexible Bearings
A.A. Popov - 11 October 2013

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University of Nottingham

Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering

Advanced Dynamics of Machines (MM 3 ADM)

Vibrations in Rotating Machinery

6.1 Introduction to rotordynamics of turbomachinery

6.1 Introduction to rotordynamics of turbomachinery

Turbomachinery is commonly used in aircraft as a means of propulsion and in the

6.2 Objectives of rotordynamic analysis

1) Critical speeds for vibration

2) Design modifications to change critical speeds

4) Threshold speeds for dynamic instability

5) Design modifications to suppress dynamic instability.

6.4 The Jeffcott rotor

A.A. Popov - 11 October 2013

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