Bifurcation analysis of a relative short spherical aerodynamic journal bearing system

Abstract

This paper studies the nonlinear dynamic behavior and bifurcation of a rigid rotor supported by relative short spherical aerodynamic journal bearings. The modified Reynolds equation is solved by a hybrid numerical method combined with the differential transformation method and the finite difference method. The analytical results reveal a complex dynamic behavior including periodic, sub-harmonic, and quasi-periodic responses of the rotor center. Furthermore, the results reveal the changes which take place in the dynamic behavior of the bearing system as the rotor mass and bearing number increase. The current analytical results are found to be in good agreement with those of other numerical methods. Therefore, the proposed method provides an effective means of gaining insights into the nonlinear dynamics of relative short spherical aerodynamic rotor-bearing systems.