Modal projections for synchronous rotor whirl

Abstract

We consider the synchronous whirl of arbitrary axisymmetric rotors supported on rigid bearings. Prior computational treatments of this problem were based on adding element-level gyroscopic terms to the governing equations. Here, we begin with a direct continuum formulation wherein gyroscopic terms need not be added on separately and explicitly: all gyroscopic effects are captured implicitly within the continuum elastodynamics. We present two new methods for obtaining the whirl speed, where we project the dynamic equilibrium equations of the rotor on to a few of its non-spinning vibration mode shapes. The first modal projection method is direct and more accurate, but requires numerical evaluation of more demanding integrals. The second method is iterative and involves a small approximation, but is simpler. Both the methods are based on one new insight: the gyroscopic terms used in other treatments are essentially the result of a prestress in the rotor caused by the non-zero spin rate, and may be incorporated as such in the continuum formulation. The accuracy of the results obtained, for several examples, is verified against detailed calculations with a commercial finite-element package, against our own nonlinear finite-element code or against analytical estimates. For further verification and illustration, a closed-form analytical solution for a simple problem, obtained using our method, matches the results obtained with explicit gyroscopic terms.