Nonlinear dynamic behavior of a flexible asymmetric aero-engine rotor system in maneuvering flight

Abstract

Aero-engine rotor systems installed in aircraft are considered to have a base motion. In this paper, a flexible asymmetric rotor system is modeled considering the nonlinear supports of ball bearings and Squeeze Film Dampers (SFDs), and the dynamic characteristics of the rotor system under maneuvering flight are systematically studied. Effects of the translational accelerative motions, the angular motions and the pitching flight with combined translational and angular motions on nonlinear dynamic behavior of the rotor system are investigated. The results show that, due to the nonlinear coupled effects among the rotor, ball bearings and SFDs, within the first bending resonance region, responses of the rotor show obvious nonlinear characteristics such as bistable phenomenon, amplitude jumping phenomenon and non-synchronous vibration. Translational acceleration motion of the aircraft leads to axis offset of the rotor system and thus results in the reduction and the final disappearance of the bistable rotating speed region. The pitching angular motion mainly affects rotational vibration of the rotor system, and thus further induces their transverse vibrations. For the pitching flight with combined translational and angular motions, a critical flight parameter is found to correspond to the conversion of two steady responses of the rotor system, in which one response displays small amplitude and synchronous vibration, and the other shows large amplitude and non-synchronous vibration.