Interaction of a Whirling Rotor with a Vibrating Stator across a Clearance Annulus

Abstract

Where a rotor runs within a clearance space, the clearance being comparable with rotor mass unbalance, the synchronous whirling behaviour of the rotor may be considerably affected by intermittent interaction with the stator at the clearance position. Discontinuity and jump phenomena may occur: in general, behaviour will be different with increasing speed from that with decreasing speed, and in either case zones may exist in which rotor-stator interaction is possible but not certain. In the analysis here presented, rotor and stator are regarded as linear multi-degree-of-freedom systems including damping; dry friction at the clearance space is taken into account. Discussion is limited to cases with radial symmetry, and interaction is assumed limited to the position of the clearance space. Polar receptances are used to establish equilibrium conditions with interaction, and speed zones are defined within which interaction may occur. Some hypothetical cases are fully explored, demonstrating that rotor-stator interactions may occur in a variety of forms and circumstances. Interactions with dry friction counterwhirling are also considered. Some experimental results on counterwhirl within a ball bearing are given and qualitatively compared with theory.