Dynamics of rotor rub in annular clearance with experimental evaluation

Abstract

Rubbing phenomena in rotor dynamics are investigated by theoretical and experimental approaches. Generating conditions of forward whirling, backward rolling, backward slipping, and partial rubbing are established for system parameters and rotor speeds. Possible whirling motions of the rotor in annular clearance are calculated for full annular rub under the conditions of positive normal force and geometric constraints. The theoretical calculations show that greater clearance results in greater runout and normal force, and the whirling responses are characterized by which natural frequency of the rotor or the stator is greater than the other. Receptances of the rotor and stator are used to explain the possibility of slipping for backward slipping and forward whirling, respectively. Effect of rotor eccentricity is also considered to find the maximum rotor speed for backward slipping during increasing rotor speed and the occurrence of forward whirl. Experiments are performed for two cases. The experimental results show good agreements with the theoretical predictions.