Experimental and Numerical Study of Oil Whip in Propeller Shaft

Abstract

Abstract An experimental study and theoretical study is carried out to understand the vibration signature of a propeller shaft. A test rig consists of a rotor shaft and three-disc supported on hydrodynamic bearing was analyzed. Presence of hydrodynamic bearing makes the systems natural frequency speed dependent. A theoretical model of the rotor disc system was developed using FEM. The rotor was formulated on Euler–Bernoulli beam theory. Proportional damping was assumed for the shaft. The stiffness and damping coefficients of the bearing are calculated by short bearing assumption. A Campbell diagram was plotted to observe the variation in natural frequencies with rotational speed. There was an indication of mode approaching each other with a speed which could result in the self-excited phenomena such as “Oil whip”. The hydrodynamic forces in the fluid film produce Oil whip. The presence of Oil whip was ascertained by carrying out the experimental study. The time-frequency plot during the run-up indicated the presence of a whip. The study indicated the influence of modes on the whip phenomena. This can be used in forming guidelines for the safe operating regime for the propeller shaft.