Vibration control of a flexible transmission shaft by means of a squeeze-film damper: An experimental investigation

Abstract

The effectiveness of a sealed squeeze-film damper, as a means of suppressing the vibration response of a rotating flexible power transmission shaft, has been studied experimentally. With the damper at an intermediate span position, comparisons have been made between the measured vibration response and corresponding theoretical predictions. At low speeds, up to a speed just beyond the first critical speed, the results indicated that the squeeze-film damper behaved linearly, with a frequency independent damping coefficient. This coefficient was found to be about four times the value predicted from conventional short-bearing lubrication theory. At higher rotational speeds there was evidence that the damping coefficient tended to increase with increasing rotational speed and complex non-linear behaviour was observed when the speed was about three times the first critical speed. Althouth quantitative prediction of the experimental rotor-bearing system response could not be obtained, at high rotational speeds, it was evident that the squeeze-film device could very adequately control the vibration response over a wide speed range, covering the first three critical speeds.